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A 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/wildsportsinfarw00gers_0 


WILD  SPORTS 


IN 

Cl u I'ar  latest. 

By  FREDERICK  GERSTAECKER. 


&ratislatcTJ  from  tf)c  (SJetmatt. 


ILLUSTRATED  BY  HARRISON  WEIR. 


PHILADELPHIA : 

J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  & CO. 
1884. 


PREFACE. 


On  my  return,  a short  time  since,  to  my  native  land, 
from  the  wilds  of  America,  it  was  not  at  first  my 
intention  to  offer  to  the  public  the  contents  of  the 
diary  I had  kept  during  my  travels,  and  written  out  in 
detail  as  an  employment  for  my  leisure  hours,  for  the 
exclusive  use  of  my  family  in  Germany.  Incited, 
however,  by  the  interest  awakened  by  the  publication 
of  a few  extracts  in  one  of  our  periodicals,  and  yielding 
to  the  wishes  expressed  by  various  friends  who  had 
read  the  remainder,  I undertook  to  correct  and  revise 
my  notes,  and  to  mould  into  a continuous  narrative  a 
diary  which  I had  only  kept  when  circumstances 
worthy  of  being  chronicled  arose,  — - for  instance,  on  the 
voyage  out,  on  my  march  through  the  United  States, 
during  my  sojourn  among  the  swamps  of  Arkansas, 
and  finally  during  my  hunting  trip  in  the  Ozark  moun- 
tains. 

I have  endeavored  faithfully  to  portray  the  social 
condition  of  the  Americans,  in  so  far  as  it  came  under 
my  observation,  and  many  a reader,  while  turning  over 

(Hi) 


iv 


PREFACE. 


ft 


the  pages  of  this  work,  will  seek  in  vain  the  wonted 
glowing  descriptions  of  the  riches  and  plenty  which  the 
dwellers  in  the  West  are  reputed  to  enjoy.  It  is  true 
that  the  American  farmer  commencing  operations  with 
small  means,  may,  by  dint  of  very  strenuous  exertions, 
realize  an  independence  in  a shorter  time  than  would 
suffice  for  this  object  in  our  old  fatherland ; but,  on  the 
other  hand,  he  must  be  prepared  to  renounce  every 
thing  that  gladdened  his  heart  in  his  native  country  — 
and  only  too  quickly  will  he  discover  that  to  wean 
himself  from  the  comforts  to  which  he  has  been  from 
childhood  accustomed,  to  quit  the  society  and  inter- 
course of  the  civilized  world,  and  to  seek  in  a far  land 
a life  of  freedom  indeed,  but  likewise  of  solitude  and 
privation,  is  a harder  task  than  it  at  first  appeared. 
And  not  every  man  is  sufficiently  strong  of  heart  to 
bear  the  emigrant’s  lot  without  a murmur. 

But  should  any  inveterate  sportsman,  with  an  imag- 
ination heated  by  the  description  of  these  scenes,  ex- 
cited by  the  dangers  and  difficulties  of  the  enterprise, 
depart  to  the  far  West,  to  experience  similar  adventures, 
let  him  remember,  when  wet,  hungry,  alone,  and  a prey 
to  mosquitoes,  he  lies  stretched  in  the  untrodden  forest, 
longing  in  vain  for  a fire,  and  for  the  society  of  men  ; 
or  when  he  has  been  following  the  tracks  of  the  deer 
for  days  together,  without  the  chance  of  a single  shot, 
until  he  can  almost  persuade  himself  that  the  tales  he 


PREFACE. 


Y 


has  read  of  wild  sports  in  the  West  are  but  myths 
existing  only  in  the  brains  of  the  Indians  ; let  him,  I 
say,  remember  that  I have,  so  far  as  in  me  lay,  painted 
all  this  in  its  true  colors,  and  that  many  an  adventure 
which  reads  admirably  on  paper,  is  in  reality  the 
reverse  of  romantic. 

The  chase  in  the  United  States  is,  moreover,  rapidly 
on  the  decline  ; for  the  American  hunter  spares  nothing, 
and  for  some  time,  particularly  since  the  day  when  skins 
were  first  paid  for  in  hard  dollars,  a war  of  extermina- 
tion has  been  wraged  against  the  poor  stags  and  bears ; 
— so  that  the  hunter  who,  some  five  years  hence,  shall 
visit  these  realms,  will  scarcely  find  his  expectations  of 
sport  realized,  unless  he  is  prepared  either  to  content 
himself  with  small  game,  or  to  penetrate  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  explore  the  territory  of  the  Indians. 

With  the  concluding  request  to  my  readers,  to  re- 
member that  these  pages  are  penned  by  a man  who,  so 
to  speak,  has  but  just  emerged  from  the  forest,  and  who 
relates  his  experiences  to  his  friends  at  home,  not  caring 
for  the  fact  that  he  might,  perhaps,  by  adopting  a differ- 
ent method,  have  told  his  story  with  more  effect,  this 
diary  is  submitted  to  the  kind  consideration  of  the  pub- 
lic, by 

A* 


The  Author. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

FROM  BREMEN  TO  NEW  YORK. 

The  Bremen  Lighter  — A Parting  Jollification  — The  good  Ship 
“ Constitution”  — The  Steerage  — The  Last  of  Germany — Sea- 
sickness — Life  on  Board  — The  Channel  — Sea  Sights  — A Shark 
— A Wreck  — Bathing  at  Sea  — Dancing  on  Board  — Stormy 
Weather  — The  Coast  of  Newfoundland  — Festivities  on  the  4th 
of  July  — Shark  and  Pilot-Fish  — Mother  Carey’s  Chickens  — 
Land  ho ! — Staten  Island  — Our  Destination  . . . pp.  1 — 30 


CHAPTER  H. 

NEW  YORK  TO  BUFFALO. 

Car-drivers  — An  Irish  Funeral  — German  Boarding-House  — A Pul- 
pit in  a State  of  Siege  — Negroes  at  New  York  — Shooting  Excur- 
sion near  New  York  — Railway  to  Utica  — American  Canal  Boat 

— My  Fat  Fellow-passenger — Pennsylvanian  smith — Hamilton 

— Wild  Duck-shooting — An  Indian  Hunter  — Night  in  the  Woods 

— A Yankee  Cattle-dealer — Buffalo  Politicians  . . . 31 — 60 

(vii) 


viii 


CONTENTS, 


CHAPTER  HI. 

OHIO INDIANA ILLINOIS  — MISSOURI. 

Wet  and  Weary — Out  in  the  Woods  — The  Forest  Mill — A Racoon 

— A Pleasant  Travelling  Companion  — My  Israelite  Fellow- 
lodgers — Fording  the  Wabash — A Wet  Road  — Buck-shooting 

— Illinois  and  its  Climate  — I set  off  for  New  Orleans  — Lead 

Mines  in  Missouri  61 — 82 


CHAPTER  IV. 

ARKANSAS,  AND  “DOWN  RIVER  ” TO  NEW  ORLEANS. 

The  Eagle  — An  Old  Settler — My  unsuccessful  Hunting  Dog  — 
The  Polish  Refugee’s  Habitation  — An  Unnecessary  Circuit  — 
Indian  Tribe  — Little  Rock  in  Arkansas  — My  Engagement  on 
board  the  “ Fox  ” — Quarrel  with  the  Captain  — An  uncomfort- 
able Night — Treatment  of  Slaves  — A Woodland  Supper  — A 
Panther — Bear-shooting — Life  among  the  Indians  — An  Indian 
Shooting  Party  — Wolf  Traps  — Narrow  Escape  for  my  Canoe  — 
By  Steamer  to  New  Orleans  83 — 116 


CHAPTER  Y. 

CINCINNATI  — A FARMER’S  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS. 

A Runaway  Couple  — Cincinnati  and  its  Religious  Sects  — The  Girl 
“ possessed  with  a Devil  ” — I start  afresh  for  the  Woods  — Bad 
Sport  and  bad  Weather — Crawfish  — Blackfish  Lake  — A Pic- 
nic in  the  Woods  — Mule  Drivers  from  Texas  — Strong’s  Planta- 
tion— A Swimming-race  with  the  dogs  — Saint  Woodland’s 
Farm  — Bee-hunting  — Wild  Honey  — Searching  for  Horses  — 
Dancing  for  a Dinner  — Backwoods  Building  — Ague  — My  Meth- 
odist Friend  — Duck-shooting — Snakes  in  the  Swamps  — Our 
Farming  Arrangements 117 — 149 


C0NTENT3. 


ix 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A farmer’s  life  in  the  woods  ( continued ). 

A Wolf  — We  shift  our  Quarters  — False  Alarm  — Squirrel  for 
Breakfast  — Primitive  Mode  of  Winnowing  Corn  — “ Oiltrove 
Bottom  ” — Pawpaw  Trees  — “ Not  at  home  ” — Hard  F are  — A 
Panther  — Visit  to  Hilger  — A Great  Political  Discussion  — Clear- 
ing Land  for  Fields  — Ague  — Prompt  Burial  in  the  Swamps  — 
A Backwoods  Family  — Swindlers  in  Arkansas  — White  River 
and  its  Neighborhood — Magnus,  the  Great  Buffalo  Hunter — A 
Patient  with  the  Ague  — Swamps  — Hunting  with  an  unloaded 
Gun — Death  of  the  Bear 150 — 181 

CHAPTER  VII. 

WOODLAND  SPORTS  — CANE-BRAKES  — MY  EXAMINA- 
TION BY  THE  SCHOOL  COMMISSION. 

T ur key-shooting  with  Dogs  — Forest  Travel — Scarcity  of  Provis- 
ions — Overcup  Oak  — Buck-hunting  — Buffalo-hunting  — Return 
to  the  Haunts  of  Men — Bear-hunting  with  dogs  — The  Falling 
Tree  — “ Shocking  bad  Dreams  ” — Ladies  in  the  Forest  — Un- 
employed Hands  in  Cincinnati  — Card-playing  in  the  Cane-brake 
— German  Settlers  down  South  — The  Great  School  Examination 
— Speculation  in  Canes  . 182 — 209 

CHAPTER  Yin. 

FARMING  AT  FOURCHE  LE  FAYE  — A BACKWOODS  “FROL- 
IC ” — RESIDENCE  AT  KELFER’S  FARM  — SCHOOLS  — 
HUNTING  EXCURSION. 

Partnership  with  Rutkin  — Removing  Goods  by  Canoe  — Scalding 
Pigs  “Arkansas  Fashion”  — Shooting  Deer  by  Night — Disa- 
greement with  Rutkin  — A Backwoods  “Frolic”  — Relays  of 
Fiddlers  — Chasing  a Wolf  with  a Canoe  — Another  Shooting 


X 


CONTENTS. 


Excursion  — The  Sessions  in  the  Backwoods  — An  inconvenient 
Court-house  — Departure  from  Kelfer’s  Farm  — Road-making  in 
the  Backwoods  — Visit  to  Bahrens  — Habitual  Reserve  of  the 
Americans  — Mechanical  Ingenuity  of  Backwoodsmen  — An  In- 
dian Adventure  — Raccoon-shooting  — Bee-hunting  in  the  Back- 
woods — Duck-shooting — Curly  the  Settler -—A  Prize  — Curly’s 
Mishap  — An  Unpleasant  Nocturnal  Visitor — -Shooting  a Pan- 
ther—Return  to  Slowtrap’s  ....  210 — 257 


CHAPTER  IX. 

HUNTING  ANECDOTES  AND  EXPERIENCES  CHRISTMAS 
— -CONWELL  AND  HIS  REMINISCENCES. 

Surprised  by  a Panther — A New  Hunting  Excursion  — The  Fox  — 
“Stole  Away”  — The  Two  old  Cattle-dealers  — Bear-hunting 
Extraordinary  — Deer-stalking  by  Night  — Duck-shooting  — 
Thunderstorms  in  Arkansas  — Our  Nocturnal  Encampment  — 
Indian  Migration  — A Bootless  Chase  — Lost  in  the  Forest  — Mr. 
Davis’s  Farm — Con  well  and  his  Family — Slowtrap’s  Adventure 
with  the  Cow  — Terrace-hills  — A Prize  — A Sumptuous  Break- 
fast — A Two-year-old  Bruin  — A Comfortable  Evening  — Indian 
Stratagem  — Simplicity  of  the  Backwoodsmen  — Bivouac — Story 
of  the  Moccasins  — Almost  surprised  by  a Panther  — A Novel 
Sleeping-room  — Struggle  with  a Buck  — Story  of  a Buffalo  Hunt 
— Books  in  Wet  Weather  — Manna  in  the  Desert  — Marauding 
Wolves  — Bruin  in  his  Nest  — Honey-laden  Home  . 258—311 


CHAPTER  X. 

A PERILOUS  BEAR-HUNT  — A DEBATING  SOCIETY PAN- 
THER HUNT DISASTROUS  EVENTS — - DEATH  OF  ERS- 

KINE  — DEPARTURE. 

Bears  in  their  Winter  Quarters  — Bruin’s  Cave — Our  Adventure  in 
the  Cave — Attack  and  Retreat — Pursued  by  a Wounded  Bear 
— Victory  at  last  — Another  Bruin  in  his  Lair — Backwoods  De- 


CONTENTS. 


XI 


bating  Society  — Knotty  Points  of  Debate  — A Panther  in  a 
Cave  — Watchfire  and  Wounds  — Off  again  after  Game  — Hunt- 
ing with  the  Indians  — Skeletons  — Narrow  Quarters  — Wachiga 
— Our  Fatal  Temerity  — Erskine’s  Death  — A Terrible  Night  — 
A Primitive  Operation  — I decline  taking  a Farm  — A Rencon- 
tre   312—349 


CHAPTER  XL 

A FATAL  BRAWL  — RETURN  TO  LITTLE  ROCK  — SUMMA- 
RY JUSTICE  — DOWN  SOUTH. 

Whiskey  and  Bloodshed  — Wounded  and  Alone  — A Prize  — Return 
to  Slowtrap’s  — Little  Rock  — Deer-shooting  at  the  “ Salt  Lick” 

— Logwood  Trees  in  Arkansas  — Summary  Judicial  Proceedings 

— Calls  for  attracting  Deer  — Indian  Method  of  Dressing  Skins  — 

A Matrimonial  Difficulty  — Buck-shooting  — Letters  at  Little 
Rock  — Canoe  Voyage  down  the  Arkansas — Celebration  of  the 
4th  of  July 350 — 373 

CHAPTER  XH. 

LOUISIANA  — NEW  ORLEANS,  AND  HOME. 

Mosquitoes  — Meeting  with  Kean — The  Hotel  at  Point  Couple  — 
Slaves  and  their  Condition  — Snipe-shooting  — Vegetation  of 
Louisiana — Shooting  Alligators  by  Torchlight — Their  Antipa- 
thy to  Dogs  and  Negroes  — New  Orleans  — The  “ Olbers”  for 
Bremen  — Mouth  of  the  Mississippi  — The  Gulf  of  Mexico  — 
Fever  — The  Liibecker  and  his  Wife  — The  Channel — Quaran- 
tine   374—396 


WILD  SPORTS 


AND 

ADVENTURES  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


CHAPTER  I. 

FROM  BREMEN  TO  NEW  YORK. 

A Bremen  lighter,  and  its  capacity  for  holding  passengers  — An 
unexpected  meeting — Scene  on  board  the  lighter  — The  captain 
— First  night  on  board — A parting  dance  on  shore  — Our  new 
passengers  ^nd  their  mishaps  — The  “ Constitution  ” — Steerage 
arrangements  — Sleeping  berths  — Scenes  between  decks  — De- 
parture — Sea-sickness  — Our  Jewish  passengers  — The  French 
and  English  Coasts  — The  Atlantic  — Jelly-fish  and  “ Portuguese 
men-of-war” — Small-pox  on  board  — Dancing — Phosphorescence 
of  the  sea  — Fricandeau-days — Stormy  weather — Meeting  of 
ships  at  sea — The  4th  of  July  and  its  festivities  — The  shark  and 
pilot-fish  — Projects  to  pass  the  time  — “ Land  ho ! ” — Arrival, 
harbor,  quarantine,  and  examination  of  luggage  — We  take  leave 
of  the  “ Constitution.” 

“ Does  the  boat  start  at  nine  exactly  ? ” “ Yes,  do  not  be 
later.”  Such  was  the  notice  I received  as  I spoke  with 
the  master  of  the  lighter,  which  in  the  spring  of  1837 
was  to  take  me  with  bag  and  baggage  on  board  the 
“ Constitution,”  bound  to  New  York,  then  lying  in 
Bremen  Roads,  about  forty  miles  from  the  town,  and 
only  waiting  for  the  two  lighters,  which  were  to  take  on 
board  the  steerage  passengers  with  their  effects. 

1 


(1) 


2 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


I was  true  to  my  appointment  at  nine  o’clock,  but 
soon  found  that  there  was  no  necessity  to  have  hurried 
myself,  as  no  preparations  had  been  made  for  starting ; 
I took  advantage  of  the  time  to  look  over  all  my  effects, 
to  see  if  I had  everything  I thought  necessary,  and  to 
procure  any  thing  that  was  wanting : in  a large  chest, 
that  could  easily  be  got  at,  I had  packed  some  bottles 
of  red  wine,  a keg  of  sardines,  another  of  herrings,  a 
Westphalian  ham  (oh,  that  there  had  been  six!),  some 
lemons,  a little  rum,  pepper,  sugar,  some  tin  vessels  for 
the  table  and  to  keep  food  in,  knives,  forks,  and  spoons. 
I found  all  right,  and  then  lounged  along  the  banks  of 
the  W eser,  so  as  not  to  lose  the  boat.  I was  astonished 
at  the  number  of  passengers  that  arrived ; and  when  I 
saw  the  crowd  of  people  to  be  stowed  in  the  miserably 
small  boat,  it  appeared  to  me  impossible  that  she  could 
hold  so  many.  While  I was  leaning  against  the  corner 
of  a house  and  looking  on,  a young  man  approached, 
wrapped  in  a blue  cloak,  with  a foraging  cap,  spectacles, 
a long  pipe  in  one  hand,  and  a knapsack  in  the  other ; 
he  looked  at  me  steadfastly  for  a moment,  and  then 
accosted  me  with  the  intimate  “ Du  ” (Thou).  His 
features  were  familiar  to  me,  but  I did  not  remember 
him  till  he  mentioned  his  name ; he  was  H.,  a former 
school-fellow,  who  was  about  to  embark  in  the  same 
ship.  The  sight  of  him  first  recalled  to  mind,  since  I 
had  taken  leave  of  all  who  were  near  and  dear  to  me, 
that  I was  not  quite  alone  in  the  world,  and  that  there 
was  still  some  one  who  would  interest  himself  for  me ; 
of  course  we  were  now  inseparable. 

We  lounged  about  together  for  some  time  in  the 
town,  and  on  returning  to  the  boat  found  for  certain 


THE  BREMEN  LIGHTER. 


3 


that  it  would  not  start  till  the  following  morning. 
Most  of  the  passengers  went  on  shore  in  the  evening. 
H.  and  I remained  on  board  with  our  baggage.  Next 
morning  we  cast  off  from  the  shore  and  made  sail  with 
the  ebb ; the  wind  was  unfavorable.  No  one  who  has 
not  made  such  a passage,  in  a similar  boat,  with  a like 
number  of  passengers,  can  imagine  the  scene.  It  is 
necessary  to  give  a short  description  of  it,  as  these 
boats  are  still  in  use,  and  may  yet  carry  thousands  of 
emigrants  from  their  native  land.  The  lighter  was 
cutter-rigged,  about  forty-five  feet  long,  and  some 
fifteen  broad,  with  a little  hole  in  the  after  part  called 
a cabin,  with  two  sleeping  places  on  one  side  and  some 
rows  of  shelves  on  the  other ; it  was  about  large  enough 
to  contain  six  people  closely  packed.  Imagine  sixty 
passengers  in  the  other  part  of  the  boat ! (for  the  cabin 
was  only  for  the  master,  or  captain,  as  he  liked  to  be 
called).  Sixty  live  passengers,  with  their  chests,  trunks, 
hat  and  other  boxes,  handkerchiefs  of  provisions, 
cloaks,  mattresses,  coverlets,  &c.  &c. ; and  not  young 
men  only,  but  old  and  young  women,  old  men  and 
boys,  children  and  old  maids,  sitting,  lying,  standing, 
and  leaning  about.  If  any  one  had  told  me  beforehand 
that  such  a number  of  people  could  have  been  packed 
in  such  a space,  I would  not  have  believed  him. 

When  all  had  settled  themselves,  and  I was  firmly 
persuaded*  that  it  was  quite  impossible  to  find  room  for 
one  more,  without  hanging  him  up  under  the  deck,  a 
pair  of  legs  poked  themselves  down  the  hatchway ; over 
them  was  a blue  jacket,  topped  by  the  rubicund  visage 
of  our  faithful  captain.  After  trying  for  some  time 
with  his  feet  to  find  a solid  foundation  to  stand  on,  he 


4 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


let  go  his  hands,  and  lighted  on  the  corns  of  a lanky 
sailor,  who  had  squeezed  himself  in  between  two  chests, 
and  had  fallen  asleep  standing;  the  pain  made  him 
draw  up  his  long  legs,  and  he  was  so  disconcerted,  that, 
still  half  asleep,  he  courteously  begged  pardon  of  the 
captain,  or  Tarpaulin,  as  we  called  him. 

The  captain  now  began  to  look  about  him,  stepping 
over  two  and  sometimes  three  persons  at  a time. 
But  what  was  his  motive  for  taking  all  this  trouble? 
Merely  to  look  at  the  pretty  faces  of  the  female  passen- 
gers, and  to  try  to  make  himself  agreeable  to  them  — 
but  time  and  place,  wind  and  weather  were  against 
him ; he  only  received  snappish  words  from  some,  and 
derision  from  others ; finding  that  nothing  was  to  be 
gained  from  the  fair  sex,  he  turned  to  the  other,  and 
began  to  ogle  various  attractive-looking  bottles,  which 
were  less  coy  towards  him,  for  here  and  there  some  of 
them  were  uncorked  and  their  contents  earnestly  in- 
quired into. 

At  last  he  went  on  deck,  and  I followed,  not  without 
difficulty,  to  get  at  least  a breath  of  fresh  air ; the 
weather  was  bad,  the  sky  cloudy,  with  a sharp  cutting 
wind,  and  occasionally  rain : the  dull  leather-colored 
banks  of  the  Weser  filled  me  with  melancholy. 

H.  had  followed  me ; so  we  lit  a couple  of  cigars,  and 
talked  over  old  stories.  We  anchored  at  dark,  as  the 
master  was  afraid  of  running  aground  — the  vessel  swung 
round,  the  sails  were  lowered,  and  all  was  quiet  for  the 
night.  As  the  dew  fell  heavy  and  cold,  we  once  more 
descended  through  the  dark  abyss  of  the  hatchway.  Not 
a light  was  burning,  and  all  lay  close  packed  together  ; 
how  I managed  to  get  through  the  mass  is  still  a 


A PARTING  JOLLIFICATION. 


5 


mystery,  but  I remember  that  I passed  the  night, 
sitting  on  the  corner  of  a chest,  leaning  my  head  upon 
another  with  an  enormous  padlock,  against  which  I 
constantly  knocked. 

What  a scene  in  the  morning ! — I was  as  hungry  as 
a wolf  — and  no  wonder,  for  I had  eaten  nothing  since 
the  previous  morning ; I got  on  deck,  washed  my  face 
and  hands  in  a bucket  of  Weser  water,  and  greedily 
devoured  a morsel  of  bread  and  cheese  which  I had  in 
my  pocket.  The  weather  had  improved,  the  boat 
dropped  slowly  down  with  the  tide.  About  eight 
o’clock  we  met  a small  fishing  boat,  from  which  I bought 
some  capital  shell-fish ; these  our  captain  ordered 
to  be  cooked  by  his  ministering  spirit,  and  of  course 
came  in  for  his  share.  When  the  flood  made,  we 
anchored  again ; H.  and  I with  the  only  sailor  went  on 
shore  to  recruit  our  store  of  provisions,  as  our  passage 
seemed  likely  to  be  a long  one. 

In  the  afternoon  we  dropped  down  to  a village  called, 
I believe,  Bracke,  where  some  merry  music  struck  our 
ears.  Our  Tarpaulin  would  not  have  passed  it  had  the 
whole  admiralty  of  Bremen  been  standing  sentiy  on 
the  shore ; although  the  wind  was  fair,  and  the  ebb  still 
running,  the  anchor  was  dropped,  the  little  boat  hauled 
up,  and  all  the  younger  members,  babies  excepted, 
landed  on  the  beach. 

Dancing  was  carried  on  with  vigor  for  a couple  of 
hours,  but  I took  no  part  in  it ; I was  in  no  humor 
for  dancing.  I was  nevertheless  amused;  the  emi- 
grants, in  the  costume  of  their  different  states,  even  in 
the  moment  of  bidding  farewell  to  their  native  land, 
jumped  and  bounded  to  the  sound  of  a couple  of 
1* 


6 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


fiddles  and  a horn,  without  a care  for  the  future.  As  it 
began  to  grow  late,  the  not  very  tender  lighterman’s 
conscience  of  our  captain  began  to  reproach  him.  The 
wind  was  fair,  and  he  knew  that  the  ship  was  only 
waiting  for  him ; so  he  collected  his  cargo,  and  we  left 
the  merry  sounds  behind  us.  We  had  had  some  fun 
at  any  rate,  and  that  made  the  time  seem  shorter. 

At  Yegesack,  another  village  on  the  Weser,  we  re- 
ceived three  more  passengers,  also  bound  for  our  ship — 
a man  of  about  five  or  six  and  forty,  his  wife,  some 
seven  or  eight  years  younger,  and  their  hopeful  son,  of 
about  eighteen. 

As  it  was  a downright  impossibility  to  squeeze  in 
three  more  passengers  amongst  us,  Tarpaulin  gave 
them  up  his  cabin,  as  he  called  it.  It  cost  no  little 
trouble  to  get  the  two  rather  helpless  old  folks  stowed 
below.  William,  for  that  was  hopeful’s  name,  managed 
it  quicker,  for  his  foot  slipped,  and  down  he  went,  like 
a flash  of  lightning,  between  his  astonished  parents, 
crushing  his  mother’s  bonnet  in  his  descent.  Towards 
evening  our  captain  wanted  some  tar.  It  was  stowed 
under  a scuttle  in  the  floor  of  the  cabin.  The  sailor, 
who  had  taken  rather  too  much  on  board  at  Bracke, 
and  thereupon  had  totally  forgotten  the  principles  of 
equilibrium,  tumbled  to  the  foot  of  the  cabin  ladder, 
and  made  the  trio  understand  that  it  was  necessary  to 
open  the  little  hole  in  the  floor,  and  that  therefore  they 
must  press  themselves  as  close  as  possible  against  the 
ship’s  sides.  This  was  easier  said  than  done,  because  a 
narrow  seat  ran  along  the  sides.  The  scuttle  was  at 
last  opened,  the  iron  pot  lifted  out,  and  set  with  its 
sharp  edge  on  William’s  toes,  causing  him  to  draw  back 


7 


THE  GOOD  SHIP  “CONSTITUTION.” 

his  foot  and  strike  his  heel  forcibly  against  the  ship’s 
side.  But  his  cup  of  sorrow  was  not  exhausted  yet. 
With  sublime  patience  he  awaited  the  retreat  of  the 
sailor,  who,  with  unsteady  hands,  lifted  the  bucket 
towards  the  captain,  who  had  stretched  out  his  hands 
to  take  it ; but  “ there ’s  many  a slip  ’twixt  the  cup  and 
the  lip.”  The  bucket  turned  over.  William,  poor 
innocent  William,  received  the  whole  of  the  contents, 
and  the  captain  got  nothing  more  than  his  favorite 
perfume.  He  swore  like  a heathen.  And  what  said 
William,  as  he  stood  there  like  butter  in  the  sun? 
If  the  saying  is  true  — “ well  greased  goes  easy,”  it 
ought  to  have  gone  easy  with  him. 

One  more  night  had  we  to  pass  in  this  wretched 
boat.  It  would  fill  volumes  to  relate  all  the  occurrences, 
serious  and  comic.  In  the  morning  we  saw  the  object 
of  our  hopes  — the  barque  “ Constitution  ” — lying  at 
anchor,  with  flags  flying.  We  were  soon  alongside 
and  on  board?  The  confusion  of  this  moment  was  inde- 
scribable. The  second  lighter  had  arrived  two  days 
before  us  with  the  other  passengers,  who  had  secured 
the  most  convenient  bed-places,  and  arranged  their 
packages  to  the  best  advantage ; no  trifling  matter  in 
so  small  a space.  The  steerage  was  about  thirty-three 
feet  long  by  twenty-seven  wide,  and  eight  high,  with 
posts,  or  stanchions,  in  the  middle,  to  support  the 
upper  deck,  to  which  the  chests,  &c.,  were  lashed. 
Imagine  on  each  side  two  rows  of  bed-places,  one  over 
the  other,  about  six  feet  square,  each  wide  enough,  or 
rather  not  wide  enough,  to  contain  five  people.  The 
chests,  cases,  packages  of  all  sorts  with  clothes  and 
provisions,  were  stowed  in  the  intermediate  spaces,  and 


8 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


lashed  to  the  posts,  to  keep  them  from  tumbling  about 
with  the  motion  of  the  ship,  leaving  a space  on  each 
side  of  about  twenty-two  feet  long,  and  from  twelve  to 
fourteen  inches  wide,  for  118  passengers.  At  first  I 
could  not  believe  that  we  were  so  many,  but  by  de- 
grees became  convinced  of  it.  After  for  a short  time 
viewing  the  scene  with  its  forms  climbing  and  crawl- 
ing about  through  the  gloom,  I imagined  to  myself  the 
motion  of  the  ship,  the  lashings  giving  way,  the  chests 
and  boxes  flying  from  side  to  side,  and  the  advent  of 
sea-sickness,  which  the  number  of  tin  basins  kept  in 
readiness  seemed  mournfully  to  forebode  ; — I hastily 
mounted  to  the  deck,  which  seemed  spacious  and  well 
arranged. 

Although  lying  at  anchor,  the  “ Constitution  ” ap- 
peared to  one  so  uninitiated  as  myself  to  roll  con- 
siderably. Before  dark,  I crept  below  again  to  take 
another  look  at  my  sleeping-place.  There  were  five 
of  us,  whom  fate  and  our  own  volition  had  consigned 
to  a space  six  feet  sqfare,  with  the  audacious  idea 
of  resigning  ourselves  to  the  arms  of  Morpheus ; 
but  we  were  so  squeezed  together  that  the  god  could 
not  have  clasped  an  individual ; so  he  must  either  take 
all  five  at  once,  or  leave  us  to  our  fate.  Our  mat- 
tresses were  spread  (each  had  a mattress  and  coverlet), 
and  we  crept  in  one  after  the  other.  When  four  had 
taken  their  places,  two  of  them  being  men  of  colossal 
bulk,  the  space  was  filled,  and  the  question  arose  — 
What  was  to  become  of  the  fifth  ? Lie  across  ? That 
would  have  been  too  uncomfortable  for  those  below. 
Under  our  heads  ? That  would  not  have  been  agree- 
able for  Id.,  who  was  the  fifth  man ; besides  he  was  so 


THE  STEERAGE. 


9 


scraggy  and  bony,  that  I doubt  if  our  heads  would  not 
have  had  the  worst  of  it.  At  last  we  all  agreed  to  lie 
on  our  sides,  and  H.  squeezed  in.  Turning  round  was 
a thing  not  to  be  thought  of ; and  thus  we  passed  our 
first  night  in  our  long-desired  ship. 

Next  morning,  when  my  left  side  awoke  (my  right 
lying  fast  asleep  for  some  time  longer),  all  my  limbs 
seemed  bruised  and  broken ; I almost  felt  homesick. 
I crept  out  as  well  as  I could,  and  went  on  deck  to  get 
a wash,  a bucket  serving  me  for  a basin.  The  wind 
blew  cold  and  comfortless  through  the  rigging.  All 
was  soon  in  motion  below,  and  as  I looked  down 
the  hatchway,  I was  forcibly  reminded  of  Schiller’s 
“ Diver,”  * 

“ Wie’s  von  Salamandern,  Molchen,  und  Drachen 
Sich  regt  in  dem  furchtbaren  Hdllenrachen.”  * 

Laughter,  singing,  roaring,  cursing,  the  screams  of 
children,  crying,  and  praying,  resounded  in  a confused 
din  up  the  hatchway.  Presently,  one  sleepy  face  after 
another  crept  up  the  ladder,  with  blinking  eyes,  accus- 
tomed to  the  nether  darkness,  and  looked  towards  the 
morning  sun  just  breaking  through  a bank  of  thin  gray 
clouds.  In  about  an  hour’s  time,  a talismanic  word, 
pronounced  in  a loud  voice  in  the  forepart  of  the  ship, 
put  life  into  the  crew,  who  had  been  on  board  some 
days:  we  soon  found  that  this  mysterious  word  meant, 
“ breakfast  ” — “ dinner  ” — “ supper.”  We  received 
coffee,  biscuit,  and  brown  bread,  but  every  one  had  to 
find  his  own  can,  and  to  fetch  his  portion  himself. 

* Salamanders,  and  monsters,  and  dragons  did  go 
Through  the  fearful  jaws  of  the  hell  below. 


10 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  PAR  WEST. 


I had  now  time  to  notice  my  bed-fellows : H.,  I have 
already  described ; the  other  three  were  a joiner,  a 
doctor,  and  an  apothecary,  the  two  latter  big  enough 
to  fill  up  one  sleeping-place  to  themselves.  As  far  as 
I could  judge  on  such  short  acquaintance,  they  seemed 
to  promise  agreeable  society. 

Boundless  disorder  still  reigned  around.  No  one 
seemed  to  know  where  he  ought  to  be  ; everybody  was 
asking  for  a chest,  a box,  a trunk:  the  fair  sex,  of 
whom  we  had  about  twenty-five,  had  made  no  arrange- 
ments among  themselves,  so  that,  instead  of  only  eight, 
sixteen  were  speaking  at  the  same  time.  I sincerely 
pitied  some  among  them,  who  seemed  to  have  been  in 
better  circumstances,  but  who,  probably  through  insuf- 
ficiency of  means,  were  obliged  to  choose  the  cheaper 
passage  in  the  steerage,  and  to  forego  all  the  comforts 
to  which  they  had  been  accustomed  from  childhood. 
A single  man  can  rough  it ; indeed,  it  is  highly  inter- 
esting to  take  part  in  all  this  life  and  bustle,  and  I 
would  not  on  any  account  have  taken  my  passage  in 
the  cabin ; but  for  a woman,  it  is  quite  another  thing ; 
for  what  may  serve  as  a joke  and  subject  of  conversa- 
tion to  a man,  alarms  and  hurts  the  feelings  of  a 
woman : it  was,  however,  very  different  with  some 
Oldenburg  lassies.  They  seemed  as  much  at  home  as 
in  their  ferry-boats;  the  greater  the  uproar  and  dis- 
order, the  more  did  they  laugh  and  enjoy  it.  The  race 
of  Israel  had  about  sixty  representatives  on  board, 
among  them  some  pretty  Jewesses  ;*  had  they  all  been 
dirty  peddlers,  I must  have  jumped  overboard. 

After  two  days,  the  pilot  came  on  board,  the  anchor 
was  weighed,  all  was  life  and  mirth.  None  would  remain 


THE  LAST  OF  GERMANY SEA-SICKNESS.  11 


below,  and  the  deck  was  crowded ; the  wind  blew  fair 
and  we  were  soon  in  the  North  Sea.  The  strip  of 
land  became  smaller  and  smaller ; the  pilot  left  us ; his 
boat  lessened  and  lessened  ; then  there  was  only  a thin, 
blue  line  with  one  dark  point,  the  steeple  of  Wange- 
rode ; this  became  more  misty  and  indistinct ; the  last 
trace  of  home  disappeared  in  the  blue  distance.  There, 
behind  those  thin  clouds  that  seemed  to  he  on  the 
water,  lived  all  those  who  were  near  and  dear  to  me  in 
this  world,  — and  yet  I had  no  tears,  for  their  source 
seemed  dried  up.  I stood  for  a long,  long  time  scan- 
ning, with  dry  eyes,  that  part  of  the  heavens.  I went 
early  to  bed  to  indulge  my  thoughts.  I had  hardly 
turned  in,  when  my  comrades  came,  and  the  squeeze 
began  again.  All  was  tolerably  quiet  in  the  steerage, 
most  of  the  party  being,  probably,  affected  by  the  dis- 
appearance of  their  mother  country. 

Running  with  a fair  wind,  the  ship  soon  became 
uneasy  ; I awoke  in  the  night  with  a very  disagreeable 
sensation,  to  find  that  my  head  lay  much  lower  than 
my  heels.  Our  berth  was  on  the  starboard  or  right 
side  of  the  ship,  looking  towards  the  head,  and  our 
feet  were  towards  the  ship’s  side,  on  account  of  the 
fresh  wind  ; in  the  night  the  wind  changed,  and  the 
ship  laid  over  on  the  port  side ; between  laughing  and 
swearing,  and  not  without  considerable  difficulty,  we 
changed  our  position. 

The  next  morning’s  sun  shone  on  many  a pale  and 
long  face ; the  sea  was  rough,  the  ship  rolled  and 
pitched  fearfully,  the  effect  was  awful  to  look  upon. 
I have  already  stated  that  we  had  a number  of  Jews 
on  board,  with  few  exceptions,  from  the  lowest  class; 


12 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  PAR  WEST. 


they  were  allowed  by  their  rabbins,  at  least  so  they 
avowed,  to  eat  bacon  during  the  voyage,  and  most  of 
them  had  so  far  availed  themselves  of  the  privilege,  as, 
if  not  to  overload  the  stomach,  at  least  to  take  in  a very 
plentiful  supply  of  the  beautiful  sweet  bacon  that  was 
served  out  to  us.  Punishment  trod  on  the  heels  of 
crime ; there  was  not  a corner  of  the  ship  unoccupied 
by  a sick  Israelite  with  a tin  basin,  or  one  despairingly 
leaning  over  the  side  and  squaring  accounts  with 
Neptune. 

H.,  the  doctor,  and  myself  were  quite  well,  and  not 
a little  did  we  quiz  the  poor  wretches,  who  were  already 
sufficiently  tormented.  The  following  day  it  rained 
hard ; the  confined  space,  with  all  these  sufferers,  was 
almost  insupportable  — yet  it  was  very  disagreeable  to 
get  wet  through  on  deck  - — I was  wretched. 

About  noon  on  Sunday,  some  groups  formed  here 
and  there ; people  began  to  feel  that  it  was  a ‘misery 
not  to  associate,  — yet  a sudden  qualm  would  often  end 
a conversation  begun  in  mirth.  Some  of  the  most 
resolute  began  to  creep  on  deck  again,  but  often  had  to 
pay  dearly  for  their  temerity,  when  a heavy  sea  broke 
over  the  ship,  and  wet  to  the  skin  all  within  its  course. 
I never  before  knew  the  real  advantage  of  a cloak.  In 
the  evening  it  cleared  up,  and  I made  my  way  forward 
amongst  the  crew  to  listen  to  their  songs  and  stories. 

On  the  following  day  the  sea  was  heavier,  and  sick- 
ness at  its  height.  I was  quite  disgusted,  and  climbed 
up  the  rigging  to  the  top  to  get  rid  of  it,  and  remained 
there  till  the  cook’s  magic  word  announced  something 
warm  for  the  inner  man,  though  very  few  of  the  pas- 
sengers responded  to  the  call. 


LIFE  ON  BOARD— -THE  CHANNEL. 


13 


I may  as  well  take  this  opportunity  to  say  some- 
thing about  the  cooking  and  manner  of  living.  The 
kitchen  is  a small  wooden  house,  well  secured  by  clamps 
to  the  deck,  as  a safeguard  against  the  force  of  the  seas 
that  break  over  the  ship.  It  was  divided  into  two 
parts ; one  for  the  cabin  passengers,  the  other  for  the 
steerage  passengers  and  crew.  The  provisions  were 
good  and  plentiful.  Coffee  was  served  out  every  morn- 
ing, though,  to  be  sure,  one  had  to  drink  a great  deal 
of  water  to  get  at  the  coffee ; but  I had  always  been 
used  to  strong  coffee,  and  future  experience  in  the  back 
woods  taught  me  that,  when  drunk  scalding  hot,  it 
requires  a good  palate  to  distinguish  between  strong 
and  weak  coffee. 

It  was  evening  when  we ‘approached  the  French  coast, 
which  first  appeared  as  a bluish  line,  that  grew  larger 
and  larger  : before  dark,  we  came  near  enough  to  Calais 
to  distinguish  the  steeple  and  houses.  Looking  over 
towards  England,  we  could  see  nothing  beyond  the  two 
lights  near  Dover.  On  the  following  morning,  we 
were  nearer  to  the  coast  of  England,  whose  majestic 
chalky  cliffs  were  tinged  rose-color  by  the  morning 
sun.  In  the  evening  we  passed  the  Isle  of  Wight,  and 
the  wind  changing,  we  did  not  clear  the  Channel  till 
the  27  th  May. 

We  were  now  on  the  broad  ocean;  a number  of 
fishing-boats  enlivened  the  prospect  with  their  many- 
colored  sails,  sometimes  white,  sometimes  yellow,  red, 
and  even  black.  The  sea  was  green,  and  the  color 
especially  beautiful  under  the  bows  and  stern ; the 
picture  was  further  animated  by  a number  of  porpoises 
and  albicores  leaping  from  wave  to  wave.  I saw 
2 


14 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


several  strange  substances  floating  on  the  sea,  which  I 
could  not  observe  more  closely,  for  want  of  a net  to 
catch  them : I decided  on  making  one. 

All  went  well  for  several  days ; the  weather 
improved,  sea-sickness  disappeared,  and  the  fair  sex 
began  to  show  themselves  on  deck.  I had  made  a net, 
fastened  it  to  a staff,  and  kept  it  in  readiness  for  any 
thing  remarkable  floating  past ; indeed,  for  me,  every 
thing  that  floated  by  was  remarkable,  or  at  least 
worth  examination.  I caught  a number  of  jelly-like 
creatures,  which  had  the  power  of  rising  or  sinking  in 
the  water,  and  also  that  of  motion ; one  kind  being  about 
five  or  six  inches  long,  and  one  and  a half  or  two 
broad,  hollow,  and  provided  with  a sort  of  stomach 
marked  by  a dark  spot,  the  *only  compact  part  of  the 
animal.  If  left  on  a dry  board  for  a couple  of  hours, 
it  resolved  itself  into  water,  excepting  the  stomach 
and  a slimy  opaque  mass  with  a very  thin  fine*  skin. 
Sometimes  we  saw  numbers  of  them  linked  together, 
and  always  with  the  dark  spot  on  one  side.  Some 
snails  were  caught  resembling  land  snails : their  shells 
contained  a blue  liquid,  which  seemed  adapted  to  give 
a beautiful  dye.  I wrote  a few  lines  with  this  dye  to 
see  how  the  color  lasted,  and  found  that  it  did  not 
change  in  the  least.  The  most  beautiful  of  all  this 
species  is  unquestionably  the  “Nautilus,”  or,  as  the 
English  call  it,  “ Portuguese  man-of-war.”  It  can  raise 
itself  about  three  inches  above  the  surface,  and  steer 
its  own  course,  but  disappears  in  a storm;  numerous 
feelers  of  two,  three,  and  four  feet,  serve  to  provide 
nourishment.  I caught  one  in  my  net,  and  happening 
to  touch  it  with  the  back  of  my  hand,  it  made  it  smart 


SEA  SIGHTS  A SHARK A WRECK. 


15 


as  if  stung  by  a nettle.  At  night  they  give  out  a phos- 
phoric light. 

Now  we  .were  flying  along  with  a fair  wind  and  fine 
weather  to  our  new  home  ; the  ocean  had  that  deep 
transparent  blue  which  almost  enticed  one  to  leap  into 
it,  to  sleep  in  peace  within  its  depths.  My  contem- 
plations were  interrupted  by  a sight  that  made  the 
peaceful  sleep  rather  doubtful  — the  dorsal  fin  of  a 
shark  peering  above  the  surface  as  the  ship  glided  by. 
The  idea  of  coming  between  the  triple  row  of  teeth  of 
such  a monster  was  any  thing  but  poetical.  My  atten- 
tion was  soon  drawn  to  another  object,  to  which  we 
canie  nearer  and  nearer,  lying  dark  on  the  water:  at 
first  I thought  it  must  be  a rock,  and  asked  the  mate, 
but  he  said  there  was  no  rock  in  that  direction,  and 
that  it  must  be  something  floating  — and  so  it  was ; as 
we  passed  it,  it  turned  out  to  be  a wreck.  Nothing  is 
more  adapted  to  damp  the  spirits  on  board  a ship  than 
the  sudden  appearance  of  such  a “memento  mori,”  to 
remind  one  of  that  journey  which  awaits  us  all,  in 
which  a wreck  may  be  our  starting-point,  and  a shark 
the  first  station. 

On  the  30th  the  wind  was  unfavorable,  with  a hol- 
low sea ; those  good  people  who  had  nothing  to  do,  be- 
came, as  usual,  sea-sick ; the  others  managed  better. 
Suddenly  our  messmate  the  doctor  came  with  a pale 
and  alarmed  countenance,  to  tell  us  that  the  smallpox 
had  broken  out  on  board ; a little  girl  had  it  very 
violently,  and  of  a bad  kind.  The  carpenter  had  has- 
tily to  fit  up  a place  used  as  a store-room  for  ropes ; 
she  was  removed  thither,  away  from  the  other  pas- 
sengers, and  the  general  apprehension  was  somewhat 
allayed. 


16 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


While  standing  quietly  on  deck,  I heard  a tremen- 
dous uproar  in  the  steerage ; men  swearing,  women 
screaming,  children  crying,  made  a chorus  enough  to 
split  one’s  ears.  I jumped  down  for  fear  of  missing 
some  fun,  and  was  greeted  by  the  most  comical  sight : 
every  one  had  taken  refuge  on  the  highest  sleeping 
places,  on  the  tops  of  chests,  boxes,  or  any  other  eleva- 
tions, to  be  clear  of  the  floor,  which  was  taken  posses- 
sion of  by  a little  white  spaniel,  which  snarled,  and 
snapped,  and  foamed  at  the  mouth.  All  cried  out  as 
I came  down  the  ladder,  “ A mad  dog  ! a mad  dog  ! ” 
The  poor  beast  seemed  to  me  more  sick  than  mad ; it 
ran  forward  a couple  of  paces,  and  got  jammed  between 
two  chests,  and  before  it  could  free  itself  I had  seized 
it  by  the  back  of  the  neck,  while  it  snapped  and 
struggled  in  vain.  I shall  long  remember  the  shrieks 
of  the  women,  who  had  mounted  into  the  sleeping 
places,  as  I raised  the  dog,  and  thereby  brought  it 
nearer  to  them  than  they  thought  consistent  with 
their  safety.  I kept  fast  hold  of  the  poor  thing, 
carried  him  up  the  ladder,  and  threw  him  overboard. 
It  was  the  only  dog  on  board,  and  belonged  to  poor 
William,  who  came  in  for  the  shower-bath  of  tar  on 
board  the  lighter.  He  took  the  affair  very  coolly,  and 
said,  “ he  was  glad  the  beast  was  gone,  as  he  was 
always  putting  his  paws  into  his  food.”  He  and  his 
father  had  remained  a long  time  on  deck,  and  at  last, 
when  they  had  descended,  they  did  not  meet  with  a very 
friendly  reception  from  the  old  lady,  who  was  lying  sick 
in  her  bed-place.  William — you — and  — your — father 
— are  — very — stupid — to — leave — me — a — poor 
sick  — woman — all — a — lone  — while — you — are  — a 


BATHING  AT  SEA  — DANCING  ON  BOARD.  17 


a — mu — sing — your — selves — on — deck.”  William  de- 
fended himself*  earnestly  in  Low  Dutch,  and  thought- 
lessly seating  himself  on  his  mother’s  cap-box,  the  lid 
gave  way  under  his  weight ; his  ears  were  well  boxed 
in  consequence. 

June  4th.  — A calm,  with  the  sea  as  smooth  as  a 
mirror,  except  occasionally  when  a long  swell  disturbed 
the  surface  ; the  ship  was  motionless.  I felt  a great 
inclination  to  bathe,  but  the  captain  had  forbidden  it, 
on  account  of  the  sharks.  Early  in  the  morning, 
however,  H.  and  I sprang  overboard  before  he  was  up, 
and  felt  as  light  as  feathers  in  the  warm  sea;  I was 
much  more  fatigued  than  ever  I had  been  in  river 
bathing,  and  I had  swallowed  no  slight  quantity  of 
salt  water. 

I went  to  sleep  after  dinner,  and  as  I came  on  deck 
again  about  two  o’clock,  I found  dancing  going  on. 
The  ship  was  not  motionless,  though  without  headway ; 
the  swell  made  her  roll  heavily  at  times,  and  occasion- 
ally a party  of  dancers,  five  or  six  couple,  would  be 
carried  from  one  side  to  the  other,  and  thereafter,  for 
a moment  attempting  to  maintain  the  perpendicular, 
yield  at  last  to  the  laws  of  gravity,  and  fall  together 
in  a heap.  Towards  dark,  dancing  ceased;  a light 
breeze  sprang  up  at  sunset,  driving  us  gently  before  it, 
the  sea  looking  still  more  beautiful  with  its  little  light 
foam-crested  waves.  At  night  it  appeared  to  be  sown 
with  myriads  of  stars  and  sparks,  particularly  where 
the  ship  dashed  through  the  waters,  throwing  off  the 
spray : it  shone  as  if  a fire  was  under  the  water  — 
every  wave  that  broke  against  the  bows,  gave  light 
enough  to  exhibit  the  letters  in  a book.  Although 
2* 


18 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


it  was  against  rules  for  steerage  passengers  to  pass 
abaft  the  capstan,  our  kind-hearted  captain  was  not  very 
strict  in  enforcing  this  order,  and  for  hours  together 
I have  watched  the  sparkling  foam  under  the  stern. 
Once  while  so  occupied  I was  startled  by  a rushing, 
snorting  noise,  and  looking  up,  saw  the  dark  form  of  a 
grampus  from  about  eighteen  to  twenty  feet  in  length, 
rushing  through  the  flashing  waters  as  if  swimming  in 
liquid  fire ; he  disappeared  close  under  the  stern. 

On  the  following  day  we  fell  in  with  another  ship  : 
on  our  hoisting  our  Bremen  colors,  she  showed  an 
American  ensign ; we  passed  about  fifty  yards  from 
her.  The  captains  exchanged  their  latitude  and  lon- 
gitude, and  gave  the  name  of  the  ports  they  came  from 
and  were  bound  to:  her  destination  was  Oporto.  A 
singular  feeling  is  awakened  by  thus  meeting  another 
ship  on  the  immense  ocean ; to  see  another  little  world 
appear,  pass  within  hail,  then  diminish  to  a white 
point,  and  disappear,  leaving  the  poor  emigrant  more 
deserted  than  before  on  the  waste  of  waters. 

On  the  7th  June,  we  were  running  eleven  knots  an 
hour ; there  was  not  much  sea,  so  that  very  few  were 
sea-sick,  and  most  had  appeared  on  deck  and  collected 
into  picturesque  groups,  — here  a couple  playing  cards, 
there  one  with  a prayer-book,  a couple  of  girls  knitting 
and  reading  together,  and  some  with  wrinkled  brows, 
strange  contortions  of  the  mouth,  and  uncouth,  sounds, 
industriously  studying,  and  endeavoring  to  pronounce, 
English.  These  quiet  pleasant  days  were  named  by  us 
fine  fricandeau  days,  for  the  following  reason.  We 
could  not  eat  all  the  salt  meat  and  bacon  that  was 
served  out,  so  we  mixed  the  remains,  after  mincinsr  it 


STORMY  WEATHER. 


19 


small,  with  bread  crumbs  and  yolks  of  eggs,  kneaded 
it  together,  and  fried  it  in  butter ; hence  the  name,  for 
in  bad  weather  we  could  do  nothing  of  the  sort. 

With  so  much  fine  weather  I began  to  fear  that  we 
should  miss  seeing  a storm,  and  so  lose  the  real  de- 
light of  a sea  voyage ; but  on  the  1 6th  it  began  to 
blow,  the  sea  got  heavier  and  heavier,  the  faces  longer 
and  longer  — and  by  midnight  old  Boreas  was  in  full 
bluster,  the  ship  dashing  nobly  through  the  brilliantly 
illuminated  sea.  I was  delighted  with  the  war  of  the 
elements,  and  leaning  over  the  side,  watched  for  hours 
the  raging  storm  and  restless  waves.  I did  not  go  to 
bed  till  morning,  when  I took  my  mattress  out  of  the 
berth,  and  laid  it  on  the  deck,  as  it  was  impossible  for 
five  to  sleep  below. 

The  next  day’s  sun  lighted  up  a wild  but  glorious 
scene ; immense  dark  blue  waves,  with  green  ridges 
crested  with  foam,  for  a moment  66  towering  in  pride 
of  place,”  then  shaking  to  make  room  for  others ; a 
shoal  of  large  porpoises  were  leaping  joyfully  among 
the  boisterous  waves.  Sailors  say  that  they  can  tell, 
by  the  course  of  these  fish,  the  quarter  that  the  wind 
will  blow  from,  only  they  are  not  agreed  whether  they 
go  against  the  wind  or  run  before  it ; — merely  a dif- 
ference of  diametrically  opposite  directions.  The  gale 
was  now  so  heavy  that  we  were  obliged  to  lie  to,  with 
the  helm  lashed  a-lee.  In  the  midst  of  it  we  saw  a 
ship  running  before  the  wind;  with  very  little  sail: 
she  was  frequently  hidden  by  the  intervening  waves, 
shot  quickly  past,  and  was  soon  out  of  sight. 

On  the  19th,  the  weather  moderated  in  the  morning, 
but  the  gale  came  on  again  with  greater  force  towards 


20 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


the  evening.  The  scene  in  the  steerage  was  piteous  in 
the  extreme ; sea-sickness  at  its  height.  — H.  and  I 
attempted  to  joke  with  some,  who  were  seated  on  the 
deck,  deadly  pale,  with  tin  basins  between  their  knees, 
patiently  awaiting  the  dreaded  paroxysms.  We  put  a 
slice  of  nice  fat  bacon  into  a plate,  covered  it  over,  then 
went  to  the  sufferers  and  asked  them  how  they  felt. 
Instead  of  answering,  they  mournfully  shook  their 
heads.  “Won’t  you  take  something?”  asked  H.,  with 
a kind  voice ; the  very  idea  occasioned  disgust,  and 
with  wry  faces  they  motioned  us  not  to  speak  of  it ; 
not  yet  satisfied,  I uncovered  the  plate,  and  H.,  holding 
up  the  slice  before  them,  asked  in  the  most  amiable, 
sympathizing  voice,  “ Perhaps  you  could  eat  a little 
bit  of  bacon  ? ” This  was  like  a watchword  ; it  worked 
like  magic,  and  we  were  glad  to  fly  on  deck,  almost 
alarmed  at  the  success  of  our  plans. 

At  noon  pease-soup  was  served  out ; I had  taken  a 
basinful  down  below,  a proceeding  which  required  no 
little  skill,  and  leaning  against  the  sleeping-place  had 
almost  finished  it,  when  H.  came  cursing  and  swearing 
down  the  ladder,  and  standing  at  the  foot  of  it,  showed 
us  his  coat,  telling  us,  fiery  with  rage,  that  one  of  the 
Oldenburghers  had  spilt  all  his  pease-soup  over  him. 
At  this  moment  a tin  dishful  of  the  same  came 
flying  down  the  hatchway,  and  emptied  itself  so  com- 
pletely over  ill-fated  H.  that  his  eyes  were  bunged 
up  ; nor  was  this  all  — the  soup  was  only  the  prologue 
to  the  play,  for  who  should  follow  his  soup,  head- 
foremost, but  poor  William,  in  propria  persona , who, 
but  for  alighting  on  H.’s  shoulders  must  have  broken 
his  neck.  Both  fell  together  in  the  mess.  It  would 


THE  COAST  OF  NEWFOUNDLAND. 


21 


be  a vain  attempt  to  describe  H.’s  rage;  had  we  not 
sprung  to  the  rescue,  poor  William  would  have  been 
strangled.  When  the  gale  moderated,  more  sail  was 
made,  but  the  sea  ran  high,  and  through  the  wind  being 
north-west,  we  could  not  lay  our  course ; still  way  was 
made,  and  that  was  a comfort. 

In  the  afternoon  we  saw  another  ship,  and  under 
Bremen  colors.  The  captains  exchanged  information 
through  the  speaking-trumpets;  we  hastened  towards 
the  land  of  the  stranger,  while  she  was  in  full  sail 
towards  home ; with  mournful  thoughts,  I watched  the 
snowy  sails,  growing  less  and  less,  until  all  traces  of 
them  were  lost  in  the  distant  horizon. 

Time  began  to  hang  heavy  on  our  hands,  our  wished- 
for  port  still  distant,  and  the  wind  unfavorable ; we 
approached  the  banks  of  Newfoundland,  whose  southern 
points  we  were  rounding  under  a thick  fog.  Towards 
evening  another  ship  was  seen ; then  the  fog  came  on 
thicker,  so  that  the  bell  was  frequently  struck,  or  a 
horn  sounded,  to  prevent  our  running  foul  of  other 
vessels.  Our  captain  was  also  anxious  on  account  of 
icebergs,  which  the  other  ship  had  spoken  of,  and  the 
thermometer  was  often  dipped  overboard,  to  try  the 
temperature  of  the  sea,  as  it  falls  considerably  on  the 
approach  of  icebergs. 

The  fog  lay  thick  and  damp,  and  the  north-west  wind 
blew  very  cold,  so  that  our  cloaks  came  again  into 
request.  The  smallpox  did  not  seem  inclined  to  leave 
us,  as  one  of  the  crew  was  now  attacked,  and  confined 
to  the  sick  cabin.  It  was  as  cold  as  it  is  in  Germany 
in  December,  and  if  three  fourths  of  the  passengers  had 
not  been  driven  on  deck  by  the  fumes  of  sulphur 


22 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


kindled  in  the  steerage,  they  would  not  have  ventured 
out  of  the  warm  but  foul  air  of  their  sleeping-places. 
It  is  surprising  that  we  had  not  more  sickness  on  board, 
for  pure  air  is  one  of  the  main  sources  of  health,  and 
this  was  much  wanted  between  decks. 

At  night  the  wind  changed  in  our  favor,  and  it  began 
to  rain.  I had  placed  my  mattress  near  the  hatchway, 
and  was  wet  through  before  I awoke. 

The  4th  of  July  approached,  — the  liberation-day  of 
the  Americans.  The  captain  said  he  should  make  it 
a holiday,  and  give  us  some  punch,  and  we  decided  on 
making  preparations  for  it ; a young  man  named 
Zellner,  who  had  already  been  in  America,  sketched 
the  plan.  First  a transparency  was  painted,  with  the 
American  arms,  the  stripes  and  stars,  and  rising  eagle, 
with,  as  a motto,  the  names  of  the  four  heroes  of  the 
revolution,  Washington,  La  Fayette,  Franklin,  Kosci- 
usko. It  happened  that  one  of  the  passengers  had 
some  rockets  and  other  fireworks,  which  he  produced 
for  the  occasion.  At  twelve  at  night,  between  the  3rd 
and  4th  July,  the  transparency  was  illuminated,  and 
a song  composed  for  the  nonce,  sung  to  the  tune  of 
u God  save  the  King.”  The  fireworks  were  let  off, 
and  the  rockets  fired  from  our  fowling-pieces.  The 
lights  were  reflected  from  the  calm  water.  The  captain 
now  invited  our  party,  and  some  other  of  the  steerage 
passengers  into  the  cabin,  where  punch  was  handed 
round,  while  the  mate  served  it  out  on  deck  to  the 
crew  and  the  rest  of  the  passengers,  pressing  it  par- 
ticularly on  the  ladies.  The  consequences  soon  became 
manifest.  We  had  sat  for  about  half  an  hour  in  the 
cabin,  laughing  and  drinking ; but  I took  the  precaution 


FESTIVITIES  ON  THE  FOURTH  OF  JULY. 


23 


of  drinking  only  one  glass,  the  punch  appearing  very 
strong,  and  much  too  sweet  for  my  taste.  Observing 
that  the  eyes  of  the  doctor  and  some  others  began  to 
twinkle,  and  that  all  were  getting  rather  jovial,  I rose, 
and  the  others  followed,  and  we  came  out  on  deck  to 
see  the  fun,  which  every  moment  became  wilder  and 
wilder.  The  sailors  were  aloft  on  the  yards,  letting  off 
squibs ; the  ship’s  bell  was  being  rung  as  if  for  fire,  and 
rockets  and  blank  cartridges  were  fired  out  of  every 
available  musket.  Zellner’s  double-barrelled  gun  burst, 
luckily  without  doing  harm ; but  the  quarter-deck  was 
the  place  where  the  “ mirth  and  fun  ” was  most  “ fast 
and  furious.”  Oilman,  an  excellent  violin  player,  had 
at  first  kindly  offered  to  play  for  the  general  amusement ; 
but  when  the  row  got  too  wild  he  withdrew,  and  another, 
burning  with  desire  to  show  his  skill,  mounted  on  the 
capstan,  and  began  to  wake  such  discordant  sounds  out 
of  his  fiddle,  that  nothing  but  the  general  uproar  pre- 
vented everybody’s  teeth  from  being  set  on  edge; 
nevertheless  they  all  waltzed  away  like  mad,  caring 
nothing  for  the  motion  of  the  ship,  which  occasionally 
threw  them  against  the  side  in  a confused  heap.  The 
man  on  the  capstan  continued  playing  as  if  possessed, 
his  face  turned  to  the  stem,  and  maintained  his  place 
with  great  skill ; and  when  the  dancers  were  all  thrown 
together  by  the  motion  of  the  ship,  he  leant  towards 
them,  playing  away  louder  and  louder,  but  without 
showing  the  slightest  change  of  countenance.  William’s 
mother  threw  her  arms  round  my  neck,  begging  me  to 
dance  with  her;  next  to  her  stood  an  old  ropemaker, 
who  had  been  ill  all  the  voyage ; he  tried  to  stand  on 
one  leg,  whistling  his  own  tune,  while  turning  on  his 


24 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


axis;  the  lanky  tailor  lay  on  his  back,  with  his  arms 
and  legs  working  like  a telegraph;  in  short,  of  the  118 
passengers,  not  more  than  six  were  quite  sober.  To 
have  a better  view  I got  into  the  long  boat,  and  laughed 
till  the  tears  came ; but  as  one  can  have  too  much  of  a 
good  thing,  as  I was  tired  with  laughing,  and  although 
I had  drank  very  little,  yet  felt  some  bad  effects,  I 
crept  down  to  my  bed.  As  I afterwards  learnt,  the' 
mate,  with  the  intention  of  making  everybody  drunk, 
had  heated  the  rum,  put  very  little  water,  and  plenty 
of  sugar.  I was  up  again  by  daylight,  and  helped  many 
of  the  victims  to  their  beds. 

None  of  the  passengers  excepting  Vogel  and  H. 
showed  themselves  for  a long  time,  and  when  they  did 
at  last,  what  pale,  dull  faces  appeared  — what  hollow, 
heavy  eyes  — what  universal  complaints  of  headache  and 
wretchedness ! William  especially  went  about  very 
chapfallen ; in  the  midst  of  the  fun  he  had  sat  himself 
down,  and  remained  in  the  cook’s  steep-tub,  where  the 
salt  meat  for  the  morrow  was  soaking. 

We  had  a great  deal  of  lightning  in  the*  evening,  and 
about  eleven  o’clock  the  heaviest  thunderstorm  I had 
ever  experienced  broke  over  us.  Flash  after  flash  of 
lightning,  peal  on  peal  of  thunder  throughout  the  whole 
vault  of  heaven.  I went  aloft  to  help  the  sailors ; one 
moment  it  was  as  light  as  day,  with  the  black  threat- 
ening sky  above  and  beneath  us,  like  a dark  stripe,  the 
noble  ship  rushing  through  the  glowing  foam-covered 
ocean.  It  was  sublime  — such  moments  are  never  to  be 
forgotten.  The  breeze  lasted  till  the  10th  July,  when 
it  again  fell  calm.  The  ship  lay  almost  motionless,  and 
as  all  had  recovered,  alike  from  sea-sickness  and  from 


SHARK  AND  PILOT-FISH. 


25 


the  effects  of  the  punch,  the  greater  number  of  the 
passengers  showed  themselves  on  deck  forming  various 
groups.  About  noon  a shark  came  towards  us,  the 
first  we  had  seen  for  some  days  ; he  swam  quietly  round 
the  ship,  and  then  disappeared,  notwithstanding  all  the 
temptations  we  offered  in  the  shape  of  large  pieces  of 
meat,  but  which  concealed  an  enormous  hook.  He  was 
accompanied  by  two  pilot-fish,  whose  attachment  to  the 
shark  is  wonderful.  These  pilot-fish  are  from  twelve  to 
fourteen  inches  long,  with  stripes  of  blue  and  white  of 
about  a finger’s  breadth  across  their  back.  I shot  one, 
but  could  not  pick  it  up.  The  shark  is  sometimes 
accompanied  by  five  or  six  of  these  fish ; he  never 
attacks  them,  and  they  probably  point  out  his  prey ; for 
though  we  saw  nothing  more  of  the  shark,  it  was  most 
likely  under  the  ship,  as  the  pilot-fish  played  about 
under  the  bowsprit,  a certain  sign  that  he  was  not  far 
off.  We  also  saw  a sword-fish  of  twelve  or  fourteen 
feet  long. 

Several  stormy  petrels,  or,  as  the  English  call  them, 
“ Mother  Carey’s  chickens,”  had  followed  us  nearly  all 
the  voyage,  and  were  now  swimming  or  flying  about  the 
ship  ; I shot  one,  and  caught  it  in  my  net  as  it  floated 
past.  They  are  about  the  size  of  swallows,  and  fly  some- 
thing like  them ; they  are  web-footed,  dive  well,  and 
have  a large  horny  hole  in  the  beak. 

The  breeze  sprang  up  again  next  day,  but  so  light, 
that  the  ship  seemed  to  be  asleep,  — fancy  her  in  a 
night-cap  and  dressing-gown.  Our  dear  companions 
became  day  by  day  more  insupportable  ; the  liveliest, 
who  were  always  on  deck,  began  to  quarrel  among 
themselves ; the  others  merely  vegetated ; they  remained 
3 


26 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


da}r  and  night  in  their  sleeping-places,  without  even 
taking  the  trouble  to  wash  themselves  ; perhaps  they 
were  afraid  of  taking  too  much  water  out  of  the  sea,  as 
the  ship  was  near  sand-banks.  We  tried  all  sorts  of 
amusements,  such  as  reasonable  grown-up  men  would 
not  be  suspected  of  patronizing.  Amongst  others,  we 
played  at  soldiers ; working  men,  shopkeepers,  apothe- 
caries, Jews,  Christians,  sailors,  old  and  young,  all  took 
part  in  it,  with  sticks,  brooms,  harpoons,  fish-grains, 
hunting  knives,  wind  instruments  (the  ship’s  horn  for 
fog-signals),  flags,  &c.,  just  like  little  boys.  The  whole 
play  was  carried  out  — rebellion,  desertion  (one  of  the 
Jews  was  the  deserter),  court-martial,  execution,  and 
tocsin:  the  tocsin  hell  was  a shirt  stretched  over  a 
hoop,  and  beaten  with  a broomstick.  The  best  of  all 
was,  that  the  doctor  turned  up  his  nose  at  us,  and  talked 
about  our  being  childish ! Was  n’t  he  hooted  ? 

July  18th.  — Running  merrily  with  a fair  wind,  our 
hearts  swelling  with  fresh  hopes.  We  collected  the 
Oldenburghers  on  deck  to  sing  a song,  the  chorus  of 
wmcn  was,  “ Peasants  ride  in  coaches  in  America.”  I 
thought  the  good  people  might  be  in  error  as  to  coaches, 
and  that  wheelbarrows  would  be  nearer  the  mark.  But 
what  should  we  be  without  hope?  We  were  near  the 
land.  At  early  dawn  I sprang  out  of  a hammock  I 
had  manufactured,  for  I could  not  sleep  in  the  narrow 
berth,  and  mounted  aloft.  Placid,  just  crisped  by  a 
light  south-east  wind,  lay  the  sea,  deep,  deep  beneath  me, 
dandling  the  noble  ship,  playing  with  her,  yielding 
before  her,  and  then  following  with  a slight  splash.  I 
gained  the  highest  point,  clasped  the  mast  with  my 
left  arm,  and  delightedly  breathed  the  pure  morning 


LAND  HO! 


27 


air.  The  horizon  became  lighter  and  lighter,  the  view 
clearer  and  clearer  — the  mist  vanished  — a hollow  sound 
like  distant  thunder  broke  on  the  listening  ear ! It  was 
surf,  — there  lay  the  land,  and  plainer  and  plainer  as  the 
light  increased  appeared  a blue  stripe  above  the  dark 
waves  of  the  horizon.  “ Land ! ” cried  I from  the  mast 
head,  and  “ land  ! ” “ land  ! ” resounded  from  one  to  an- 
other between  decks.  As  ants  run  out  of  their  nest  when 
it  is  disturbed,  so  rushed  the  half-wakened  passen- 
gers up  the  hatchway,  hastened  to  the  bows,  and  open- 
ing their  blinking  eyes  as  wide  as  they  could,  repeated 
“ land ! ” although  I am  convinced  that  it  was  not  pos- 
sible to  see  it  from  the  deck,  as  the  day  did  not  get  any 
clearer,  and  only  the  highest  points  were  visible.  Our 
lanky  friend  the  tailor  came  up  among  the  rest,  holding 
a plate  of  butter  in  one  hand,  a ship’s  biscuit  in  the 
other ; as  he  heard  the  word  “ land ! ” repeated,  he  set  his 
provisions  on  one  of  the  hen-coops,  and  ran  with  the 
others  to  look  at  the  land.  William,  who  probably 
thought  that  there  would  be  plenty  of  time  to  contem- 
plate it,  sat  himself  quietly  down  on  the  hen-coop,  and 
of  course  on  the  butter,  which  had  become  rather  soft 
after  a night  spent  between  decks ; there  he  sat,  kick- 
ing his  heels  against  the  rails,  his  hands  comfortably 
stowed  in  his  pockets,  and  whistling  to  express  his 
content.  The  tailor  returning,  naturally  anxious  about 
his  week’s  allowance  of  butter,  which  he,  confiding  in 
the  general  honesty,  had,  in  a manner,  left  exposed  in 
the  highway,  stood  immovable  with  astonishment, 
with  eyes  and  mouth  wide  open,  looking  at  this  picture 
of  innocence  and  self-satisfaction  sitting  in  his  butter. 
William,  unconscious  of  evil,  and  amused  at  the  tailor’s 


28 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


astonishment,  put  on  a broad  grin,  which  stopped  his 
whistling,  but  he  kept  up  the  time  with  his  heels.  At 
last  the  astounded  tailor  found  his  tongue,  and  calling 
out,  “Oh  the  wretch!”  he  sprang  on  the  unprepared 
William,  pulled  him  across  liis  knee,  and  pointing  out 
the  butter  to  the  bystanders,  exclaimed  in  a sorrowful 
voice,  “ There,  there  it  is  ! ” 

As  we  came  nearer  to  the  long-desired  land,  we 
could  distinguish  woods,  fields,  houses,  farms,  and  single 
trees ; a beautiful  sight,  but  not  to  be  enjoyed  long,  for 
the  captain  not  liking  to  approach  too  close,  stood  off 
again,  and  in  the  evening  it  was  hardly  visible.  Early 
on  the  19th  we  made  all  sail;  about  eleven  a small 
vessel  stood  towards  us  under  American  colors : we 
hoisted  ours,  and  the  pilot  came  on  board.  Now  all 
was  fresh  life  among  the  passengers.  So  near  the  land, 
fresh  water  was  served  out,  and  there  was  washing  and 
splashing  and  smartening  up  going  on  in  every  corner. 
Here  a young  Jewess  adorned  herself  with  earrings 
containing  false  stones,  there  a man  hastily  washed  a 
shirt;  on  one  side  women  combing  and  brushing  chil- 
dren, there  others,  their  toilet  ended,  strutting  about 
in  their  best ; — and  there  lay  the  poor  ropemaker  face 
downwards,  across  the  capstan ; he  had  but  one  pair  of 
trowsers,  which  the  kind  tailor  was  busily  mending. 
The  pilot,  a fine-looking  man,  as  all  these  American 
pilots  are,  and  dressed  in  the  newest  fashion,  soon 
carried  us  into  the  entrance  of  New  York  harbor, 
near  Staten  Island.  Where  shall  I find  a pen  that  can 
paint  what  we  saw,  or  describe  our  feelings  ? The  sight 
of  this  noble  land,  robed  in  the  most  beautiful  green, 
with  luxuriant  fields,  fine  houses,  and  here  and  there 


STATEN  ISLAND OUR  DESTINATION. 


29 


remains  of  the  original  forests,  forts  on  each  side  pro- 
tecting the  entrance,  the  bright  blue  heavens  above, 
and  rustling  waves  beneath,  melted  my  heart,  and  made 
me  long  to  be  alone.  I ran  aloft,  and  looked  with 
enchanted,  and,  why  should  I deny  it,  with  moistened 
eyes,  on  the  beautiful  country  which  seemed  opening 
her  arms  to  receive  us — and  the  question  rose  unavoid- 
ably : “ Why  is  not  that  my  home,  and  why  must  I leave 
all  my  heart  holds  dear  to  purchase  such  a sight  ? ” The 
sailors,  who  came  running  up  the  rigging  like  cats, 
disturbed  my  meditations.  The  anchor  was  dropped, 
and  the  sails  furled.  A boat  under  a yellow  flag  came 
off  from  Staten  Island,  to  inquire  after  our  healths. 
Luckily  all  our  sick  had  recovered,  and  all  the  party 
looked  in  good  condition ; so  that  the  good  doctor,  in 
spite  of  a pair  of  hexagonal  spectacles,  could  not  find  a 
trace  of  the  late  sickness,  and  left  the  ship  with  the 
words  “All’s  well.”  In  the  evening,  H.,  the  doctor,  and 
I plunged  overboard  to  bathe.  We  were  not  allowed 
to  leave  the  ship  till  the  morrow,  when  a schooner  came 
to  take  us  all  with  bag  and  baggage  to  a large  square 
block  house,  about  a hundred  yards  from  the  shore,  to 
undergo  a short  quarantine,  and  to  show  whether  our 
luggage  contained  any  thing  liable  to  duty,  or  requiring 
washing.  The  customs’  examination  was  not  severe, 
and  nobody  had  to  pay  ; the  dirty  clothes  were  more 
strictly  examined,  and  large  buckets  were  brought,  that 
those  who  had  neglected  to  wash  their  clothes  on  the 
passage  might  do  so  now.  As  we  quitted  the  “ Consti- 
tution,” where  we  had  passed  sixty-four  days  of  mingled 
joy  and  sorrow,  taking  leave  of  her  crew  was,  to  me  at 
least,  like  taking  leave  of  old  friends,  and  as  the  boat 
3* 


30 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


shoved  off  we  gave  them  a loud  cheer,  which  was  an- 
swered by  the  crew  in  English  fashion  with  three  hur- 
rahs, preceded  by  u hip,  hip,  hip.”  This  was  not  very 
well  taken  by  our  Jewish  passengers,  who  could  not  find 
“ hip,  hip,  hip  ” in  their  dictionaries,  and  one  of  them 
remarked  that  u he  did  not  see  why  they  should  so  laugh 
at  us.” 


f 


CHAPTER  II. 


NEW  YORK  TO  BUFFALO. 

Good  advice  to  emigrants  — Examination  of  the  baggage  — New  York 
— Schw — z’s»boarding-house  and  its  deficiencies  — Aspect  of  the 
city  — Abundance  of  fruit  — An  Irishman’s  funeral  — Fire  — Re- 
ports from  Illinois  — The  German  reformed  church  — Extraordi- 
nary scene  — Soldiers  — The  Scotch  and  their  national  costume  — 
Negroes — My  tobacco  speculation — Unsuccessful  shooting  excur- 
sion — Departure  for  Albany  — Utica  — An  American  breakfast  — 
The  canal-boat  and  its  arrangement — Collision — Crowded  state 
of  the  boat,  and  consequent  discomfort — Lockport  — Niagara  — 
Hamilton  — Visit  to  a countryman  — Excursion  into  the  woods 

— Meeting  with  an  Indian  — Bear  hunt — Bivouac  in  the  woods 

— Maize  — Buffalo  — The  1 William  Tell  ’ — Village  politicians. 

Although  this  blockhouse  was  called  the  Quarantine 
building,  the  quarantine  was  not  very  strict;  several 
of  us  got  a boat  to  take  us  on  shore,  and  for  the  first 
time  we  stepped  on  the  soil  of  a new  world  — for  us  a 
truly  beautiful  and  noble  world,  but  still  a new,  and 
therefore  a strange  one.  Singular  feelings  came  over 
me  as  I wandered  under  strange  trees,  among  the  pale 
Americans,  and  sought  some  quiet  spot  where  I could 
indulge  my  thoughts ; they  were  mournful,  though  at 
the  same  time  full  of  hope  and  confidence.  It  was  late 
when  I returned  to  my  companions,  whom  I found 
assembled  round  some  bread  and  cheese  and  beer,  and 
well  satisfied  with  their  reception  in  their  new  country. 
While  sitting  enjoying  God’s  good  gifts,  which  we  had 


32 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


been  so  long  deprived  of,  a stranger  came  into  our  room, 
.but  as  he  addressed  us  in  German,  we  were  soon  on  a foot- 
ing of  old  acquaintance ; he  was  a baker,  who  had  been 
about  thirty  years  in  America,  and  had  realized  a hand- 
some fortune  ; he  came  with  the  praiseworthy  intention 
of  giving  us  good  advice.  The  good  man  might  have 
saved  his  trouble,  for,  wise  in  our  own  conceits,  like  all 
new  comers,  we  knew  better  than  he  did.  He  had 
lived  principally  in  Pennsylvania,  and,  like  all  the 
people  of  that  State,  he  addressed  each  as  “ Thou.”  He 
cautioned  us  against  the  Americans,  telling  us  that  they 
would  cheat  us  whenever  they  could;  “but,”  said  he, 
“if  you  must  trust  to  any  one,  trust  an  American 
sooner  than  a German.  It  is  a disgrace  to  the  Ger- 
mans, but  it  is  too  true : beware  of  them,  for  they  are 
much  worse  towards  their  own  countrymen  than  any 
others ; because,”  added  he,  confidentially,  “ they  are 
the  simplest.  When  you  land  at  New  York,  don’t  go 
into  any  of  the  low  public-houses,  near  the  landing-place 
. — 4 William  Tell  ’ — and  such  like  — they  are  all  dens 
of  thieves  ; and  now  if  you  do  — you  have  been  warned, 
— it  will  be  your  own  faults  and  you  can’t  complain.” 
He  continued  for  some  time  giving  us  advice  on  this 
subject,  and  although,  at  that  time,  I made  no  exception 
to  the  general  rule  of  knowing  better,  disbelieving  his 
calumnious  warnings  because  they  did  not  agree  with 
my  preconceived  fixed  opinions,  I found  afterwards  that 
his  words  were  unfortunately  but  too  true. 

A second  examination  of  the  baggage  exposed  more 
dirt ; sick  of  remaining  longer  in  disagreeable  contact 
with  it,  we  five  took  the  steamer  that  starts  at  nine 
o’clock  for  New  York,  making  the  passage  of  nine 


CAR-DRIVERS AN  IRISH  FUNERAL. 


33 


miles  in  half  an  hour.  There  was  too  much  to  see,  and 
too  much  that  was  quite  new,  for  the  eye  to  dwell  long 
enough  on  any  one  object  to  receive  a deep  impres- 
sion, and  I hardly  knew  that  the  boat  had  started, 
when  she  stopped  at  the  landing-place,  and  the  immense 
sea  of  houses  of  New  York,  begirt  by  a forest  of  masts, 
lay  before  us. 

The  steamer  had  hardly  landed,  when  we  were  sur- 
rounded by  a number  of  car-drivers,  offering  to  carry 
our  luggage  to  our  destined  abode ; we  chose  two, 
which  took  all  our  things,  and  for  which  we  had  to  pay 
altogether  one  dollar  — but  they  had  a tolerable  distance 
to  go.  Zellner,  who  had  already  been  in  New  York, 
recommended  Schw — z’s  boarding-house,  whither  we  all 
went.  In  all  my  life  I never  saw  such  a dirty  establish- 
ment as  old  Madame  Schw — z’s : it  makes  me  sick  now 
to  think  of  it.  Of  course  I did  not  remain  much  in  the 
house,  but  for  some  days  lounged  through  the  fine  broad 
streets,  admiring  several  handsome  buildings,  I was 
much  struck  by  the  immense  amount  of  shipping 
ranged  thickly  side  by  side  all  round  the  town,  and  by 
the  superfluity  of  southern  fruits ; in  every  street  were 
carts  full  of  pine-apples,  oranges,  cocoa-nuts,  &c.  The 
finest  pines  were  to  be  had  for  from  sixpence  to  a 
shilling. 

I had  wandered  about  for  a couple  of  hours,  and  was 
about  to  return  to  the  boarding  house,  when  turning  the 
corner  of  a street  I came  upon  one  of  the  most  extra- 
ordinary cavalcades  I ever  saw.  It  was  the  funeral  of 
a poor  Irishman,  which  I will  briefly  describe,  as  it  is 
well  worth  it.  First  came  a hearse  covered  with  dirty 
cloth  that  once  had  been  black.  The  driver  was  seated 


34 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


in  front,  by  no  means  in  a mourning  attitude ; his  left 
foot  rested  on  his  right  knee,  the  left  elbow  on  the  left 
knee.  He  was  dressed  in  a shabby  blue  coat,  a hat  with 
the  rim  torn  and  hanging  down;  his  trowsers  might 
have  been  white  if  they  had  been  washed ; his  left  hand 
held  an  apple,  which  he  was  eating  with  the  greatest 
composure ; the  right  held  the  whip,  with  which  from 
time  to  time  he  encouraged  his  horses ; the  reins  were 
twisted  round  his  left  knee.  The  hearse  was  followed 
by  six  luggage  cars,  each  containing  from  ten  to  twelve 
mourners,  sitting  back  to  back,  with  feet  hanging  down 
the  sides,  men  and  women  together,  in  clothes  of  all 
colors,  eating,  drinking,  and  laughing  : to  say  the  least, 
it  appeared  to  me  a very  original  kind  of  funeral. 

It  was  late  when  I arrived  at  the  boarding-house, 
for  when  I turned  homewards  I found  so  many  things 
to  attract  my  attention  that  the  hours  flew  rapidly  by. 
All  my  companions  were  assembled,  and  we  had  much 
to  relate.  As  we  were  going  to  bed  about  twelve, 
there  was  a cry  of  “ fire ! fire ! ” in  the  streets.  I 
jumped  up  and  looked  out  of  the  window, — the  sky 
above  the  opposite  houses  was  deep  red.  As  I was 
still  dressed,  and  none  of  the  others  would  go,  I ran 
down  stairs,  and  hastened  in  the  direction  of  the  fire ; 
I hurried  along  one  street  after  another,  following  the 
reflection  in  the  sky ; yet  it  was  three  quarters  of  an 
hour  before  I arrived  at  the  fire.  It  was  a small 
wooden  building  still  in  flames,  so  I came  in  good  time 
to  see  the  engines  worked.  There  were  several  Ger- 
mans among  those  who  had  hastened  to  the  fire ; I 
asked  one  of  them  how  far  it  was  to  my  boarding-house, 
and  learnt  to  my  horror  that  it  was  two  miles  off.  He 


GERMAN  BOARDING-HOUSE. 


35 


assured  me  that  if  I ran  to  every  fire  that  broke  out  in 
New  York,  I should  have  nothing  else  to  do  all  night, 
as  there  are  seldom  less  than  two  in  the  twenty-four 
hours.  His  words  were  confirmed  by  another  alarm  in 
a few  hours ; and  during  the  three  months  that  I re- 
mained in  New  York,  I remember  very  few  nights 
passing  without  an  alarm  of  fire.  The  fire  companies 
are  excellent,  and  the  most  respectable  citizens  are 
enrolled  amongst  the  firemen ; the  engines  are  hand- 
some, and  formed  of  brass  and  iron,  often  adorned  with 
a pretty  vignette ; they  are  drawn  by  the  men.  How 
different  from  our  old  thunder-boxes,  in  Germany, 
where  it  takes  half  an  hour  to  get  the  horses  ready. 

A week  passed  so  quickly,  I could  hardly  persuade 
myself  that  it  was  more  than  two  days.  I became  ac- 
quainted with  several  Germans.  The  dirt  of  the 
boarding-house  became  insupportable.  I had  been  in- 
troduced to  a German  family  by  a mutual  acquaintance 
from  Brunswick,  and  they  agreed  to  let  me  board  and 
lodge  with  them  for  three  dollars  a week,  the  ordinary 
price,  washing  not  included.  Washing  costs  at  the  rate 
of  four  cents  a single  piece. 

I had  come  to  New  York  with  the  intention  of 
proceeding  to  Yera  Cruz,  but  heard  so  many  unfavor- 
able reports  of  the  state  of  Mexican  affairs,  that  I was 
at  first  undecided;  and  afterwards,  as  so  many  told 
me  of  the  disturbed  and  uncertain  state  of  that  country, 
and  warned  me,  as  a new  comer,  against  going  there,  I 
decided  on  taking  a good  look  at  the  United  States 
before  I visited  other  countries. 

My  prospects  here  seemed  to  improve.  A young 
farmer  from  Illinois,  whom  I met  in  New  York,  said 


36 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


that  it  was  not  difficult  to  get  a farm  on  lease  there  — 
a lease  in  the  American  sense  of  the  word,  where  the 
farmer  obtains  a piece  of  cleared  land,  with  the  neces- 
sary buildings,  for  which  he  gives  the  proprietor,  who 
also  finds  most  of  the  farming  implements,  one  third  of 
the  produce.  At  the  same  time,  he  assured  me  that 
two  men  could  easily  manage  sixty  acres.  But  he  sup- 
pressed the  fact  that  these  two  must  be  well  acquainted 
with  the  American  system  of  farming. 

All  sorts  of  plans  came  under  my  consideration, 
without  my  coming  to  any  determination  — and  time 
slipped  by. 

One  Sunday  morning  I wished  to  go  to  church. 
An  acquaintance  offered  to  accompany  me.  We  went 
to  the  German  reformed  church.  We  were  rather  late, 
and  I was  astonished  at  the  excitement  and  disorder 
which  prevailed.  I was  soon  to  be  still  more  surprised. 
The  preacher,  a robust,  powerful  man,  was  very  red  in 
the  face,  spoke  with  great  vehemence  and  considerable 
ability.  He  paused  every  now  and  then  to  take  a 
drink.  Suddenly,  as  the  confusion  was  somewhat  sub- 
siding, and  the  preacher  was  commenting  on  the  text, 
a lady  stood  up,  and  began  to  speak  very  loud.  At 
first  I could  not  understand  what  she  wanted.  With 
surprise,  I recognized  her  to  be  my  landlady,  and  heard 
such  words  as  “ shame  — insufferable  — insolence  — 
men  — turn  out  of  the  pulpit,”  &c.  As  I was  reflecting 
on  what  this  could  mean,  the  disturbance  broke  out 
afresh.  “ Down  with  him  out  of  the  pulpit ! ” “ Kick 
him  out ! ” “ Cane  him  well ! ” Such  were  the  sounds 
that  filled  the  church.  The  congregation  attempted  to 
get  the  preacher  out  of  the  pulpit,  but  this  was  not  so 


A PULPIT  IN  A STATE  OF  SIEGE. 


37 


easy  as  it  appeared.  The  pulpit  had  a flight  of  steps 
on  each  side,  with  a door  fastening  inside  at  the  foot 
of  each.  The  insurgents  attempted  to  storm  the  steps 
on  the  right,  but  their  pastor  proved  to  them  that  he 
belonged  to  the  church  militant  in  the  literal  meaning 
of  the  word.  He  made  only  two  steps  to  the  bottom, 
and  gallantly  defended  the  door.  But  too  many  dogs 
are  the  death  of  the  fox.  The  garrison  was  too  weak. 
While  he  defended  one  side,  the  other  was  left  exposed. 
The  insurgents  made  a breach,  stormed  the  left-hand 
steps,  and  took  the  garrison  in  the  rear.  The  preacher 
was  dragged  into  the  middle  of  the  church,  but 
managed  to  slip  out  of  the  hands  of  his  persecutors,  and 
escaped  into  a corner,  when,  putting  himself  into  a 
regular  boxing  attitude,  he  called  out  with  an  oath  — - 
“ Come  on,  all  of  you.”  These  words  were  not  mere 
bravado  ; for  now  that  his  rear  was  secure,  he  kept 
them  all  at  bay.  I had  watched  the  whole  affair, 
standing  on  one  of  the  benches.  It  was  not  a fair 
fight ; for  while  those  in  front  kept  out  of  reach  of  his 
fists,  those  in  the  rear  kept  striking  him  on  the  head 
with  umbrellas.  At  last,  making  a desperate  sally,  he 
succeeded  in  escaping.  This  was  all  that  the  congrega- 
tion desired,  and  several  talked  of  “ fetching  the  other 
preacher ; ” but  their  minds  were  too  excited,  and  so 
they  separated.  On  coming  home,  I learnt  the  cause 
of  this  uproar  from  my  landlady.  The  congregation 
had  dismissed  this  hard-fisted  preacher,  and  elected 
another,  who  was  to  have  preached  to-day  for  the  first 
time ; but  they  had  reckoned  without  their  host,  for 
the  ex-pastor  was  up  at  daybreak,  and  having  his 
own  key,  had  gone  into  the  church,  and  taken  pos- 
4 


38 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


session  of  the  pulpit,  where  he  sat  patiently  awaiting 
the  turn  of  events.  The  other  preacher  came  in  with 
the  congregation,  and  being  a quiet,  peaceable  man,  he 
retired ; and  the  former,  in  spite  of  threats  and  abuse, 
began  the  service,  and  would  have  carried  his  point, 
if  my  heroine  had  not  lighted  the  match  which  set 
them  all  in  a blaze.  Some  years  afterwards  I learnt 
that  the  same  sort  of  disturbance  had  occurred  several 
times  in  that  church. 

I was  surprised  at  seeing  no  soldiers  in  New  York, 
except  now  and  then  a couple  or  so  of  military-looking 
men,  with  blue  jackets  and  trowsers,  and  glazed  caps. 
These  are  Uncle  Sam’s  soldiers,  who  devote  themselves 
to  their  country  for  eight  dollars  a month.  They  are 
generally  men  who  dislike  hard  work,  yet  cannot  gain 
a living  in  any  other  way.  They  enlist  for  five  years. 
There  are  besides  bodies  of  militia,  German  as  well  as 
American  battalions,  who  turn  out  on  grand  occasions, 
and  are  well  dressed.  A short  time  ago  some  of  the 
Scots  had  a meeting,  and  got  up  a battalion  in  highland 
costume,  the  different  clans  in  their  proper  tartan,  with 
plaids,  bonnets,  feathers,  targets,  claymores,  bagpipes, 
and  the  chiefs  with  eagle’s  feathers.  Thus  they 
marched  through  the  greater  part  of  the  town.  The 
next  day,  the  " New  York  Herald  ” made  severe  re- 
marks upon  people  having  a claim  to  respectability 
marching  through  the  town  with  naked  legs,  having 
music  into  the  bargain,  to  attract  everybody’s  attention. 

A great  number  of  emigrants  arrived  about  this 
time,  and  filled  all  the  taverns.  I discovered  that  the 
Americans  did  not  seem  to  care  so  much  about 
foreigners  as  I had  imagined ; and  to  my  great  vexa- 


NEGROES  AT  NEW  YORK. 


39 


tion,  I saw  that  Germans  and  Irish  were  thought  little 
more  of  than  negroes.  Of  course  there  are  honorable 
exceptions,  for  the  educated  Americans  know  how  to 
make  a distinction ; yet,  at  that  time,  it  is  very  possible 
that  I may  have  been  misinformed. 

It  is  disagreeable  to  the  feelings  of  the  newly  arrived 
European  to  behold  the  treatment  of  the  unfortunate 
negroes ; for  though  New  York  is  not  a slave  state 
they  are  considered  no  better  than  cattle.  Yet  they 
enjoy  a number  of  privileges,  which  they  lately  obtained 
through  the  kindness  of  General  Jackson.  At  the 
same  time,  they  are  not  allowed  to  enter  an  omnibus, 
nor  to  sit  anywhere  but  in  the  gallery  of  the  theatre. 
They  must  keep  to  their  own  churches,  and  cannot  be 
sworn  as  witnesses  against  the  whites. 

After  a few  weeks’  residence  in  New  York,  my  land- 
lord asked  me  to  try  a speculation  with  him,  in  order, 
as  he  said,  to  get  rich  in  a short  time.  He  proposed  to 
open  a cigar  shop.  I had  no  inclination  for  it  at  first, 
having  been  so  often  warned  against  the  Germans,  but 
so  many  people  spoke  well  of  him,  and  said  he  was  so 
much  esteemed,  that  I began  to  think  he  must  be  an 
exception.  I embarked  all  the  money  I possessed  in 
this  business.  My  partner  obtained  some,  but  upon 
credit ; and  in  a short  time  a cigar  shop  was  opened  by 
the  firm,  in  Broadway,  the  most  frequented  street  of 
New  York.  It  seemed  a miracle  how  well  I had 
managed  my  affairs.  Hardly  a month  had  I been  in 
America,  and  already  I carried  on  a business  of  my 
own ! It  was  well  that  this  dream  lasted  only  a short 
time,  or  I should  have  lost  everything. 

I began  now  to  Americanize  myself.  I was  no  longer 


40 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


surprised  when  I saw  a fat  mulatto  woman  walking 
along  the  street  with  a pipe  in  her  mouth,  or  a lady 
handsomely  dressed,  and  in  the  newest  fashion,  but 
without  stockings ; just  as  little  did  I marvel  to  see  a 
well-dressed  gentleman,  in  a black  frockcoat,  and  black 
trousers,  gold  watch,  chain,  &c.,  going  to  market  with 
a basket  under  his  arm ; and  I hardly  looked  round  if  I 
saw  a New  Englander  riding  from  market,  in  bad 
weather,  at  full  gallop,  with  very  short  stirrups,  a 
basket  of  vegetables  hanging  to  his  left  arm,  while  his 
right  hand  grasped  an  outspread  umbrella.  In  fact,  a 
man  may  accustom  himself  to  any  thing. 

I now  resolved  on  making  a shooting  excursion,  and 
as  Zellner  had  described  the  banks  of  the  Hudson  as  so 
very  beautiful,  we  started  one  fine  morning  with  our 
guns,  by  one  of  the  numerous  steamers,  and  ran  up  to 
our  shooting  grounds,  a distance  of  twenty-two  miles, 
for  sixpence.  The  voyage  alone  was  worth  ten  times 
the  money,  on  account  of  the  beauty  of  the  scenery. 
The  Hudson  is  certainly  the  loveliest  river  I ever  saw, 
with  its  smooth  majestic  stream,  its  high  steep  cliffs, 
clothed  with  the  brightest  green,  with  dwelling-houses 
and  villages  wherever  space  will  allow,  and  thousands 
of  vessels  of  all  descriptions  giving  such  life  to  the  whole, 
as  fills  one  with  wonder  and  delight.  As  we  started 
late,  it  was  dark  when  we  arrived  at  our  landing-place. 
We  were  up  at  daybreak  next  morning,  and  set  off  to 
search  the  woods  and  fields,  eager  to  spill  blood.  Weary 
and  exhausted  with  climbing  over  the  number  of  fences 
and  hedges,  leaping  over  fallen  or  half-decayed  trees, 
wading  through  morasses  and  mounting  hills,  we  ar- 
rived in  the  evening  at  the  house  of  a cousin  of  Zell- 


SHOOTING  EXCURSION  NEAR  NEW  YORK.  41 


ner’s  without  having  seen  a feather  or  any  thing  else  in 
the  shape  of  game.  Our  host  received  us  hospitably, 
told  us  that  we  did  not  understand  how  to  find  game  # 
in  America,  and  promised  he  would  accompany  us  on 
the  morrow.  Our  hopes  revived  again ; we  were  ready 
by  break  of  day,  inhaling  the  sweet  morning  air  and 
determined  upon  slaughter,  and  doubting  whether  our 
game  bags  would  hold  all  that  we  meant  to  kill.  It 
was  yesterday’s  fortune  repeated.  Here  we  skirted 
a wood,  there  a fence,  here  we  waded  a marsh,  and  there 
pushed  through  a thicket ; from  daybreak  to  noon,  not 
a shot  had  been  fired.  By  the  time  we  arrived  on  the 
banks  of  the  river,  and  saw  a steamer  running  down 
stream,  Z.  and  I had  had  enough  of  it,  and  were  re- 
joiced to  see  the  steamer  answer  our  signals  and  stop  to 
take  us  on  board.  Hungry  and  tired,  without  having 
seen  a single  head  of  American  game,  we  returned  to 
New  York.  After  this  excursion,  I was  in  no  hurry 
to  try  another.  I had  had  enough  for  once,  and  at- 
tended assiduously  to  my  business ; taking  pains  at 
the  same  time  to  learn  English,  for  although  I had 
made  some  progress  in  Germany,  it  sounded  like  so 
much  Chaldaic  or  Chinese,  till  my  ear  became  ac- 
customed to  it;  then  the  foundation  that  I had  for- 
merly laid  helped  me  to  acquire  it  quickly. 

I remained  some  weeks  longer  in  the  town,  otherwise 
I must  have  intrusted  all  that  I possessed  to  the  in- 
tegrity of  strangers,  and  an  inward,  misgiving  warned 
me  against  so  doing.  At  the  same  time,  I began  to 
reflect  that  I was  fast  bound  in  the  town,  and  could  not 
get  out  into  the  open  country ; and  this  feeling  became 
every  day  more  painful  and  vexatious.  It  struck  me 

4 * 


42 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


that  this  was  not  exactly  the  object  for  which  I had 
left  all  that  was  dear  in  my  native  land,  and  often 
* while  brooding  over  my  late  step,  it  seemed  a wild,  op- 
pressive dream.  It  seemed  as  if  I could  not  be  in  the 
long  desired  land  of  freedom,  so  many  thousands  of 
miles  from  my  loved  country,  and  that  I might  awake 
at  any  moment  and  thank  God  that  it  was  only  a 
frightful  delusion.  It  was  however  a reality,  and  I 
decided  on  breaking  my  fetters.  I soon  arranged  with 
my  partner ; with  the  exception  of  a small  sum  down 
for  travelling  expenses,  he  was  to  keep  the  rest  in  the 
business  till  the  end  of  March,  and  then  repay  the  bare 
sum  I had  at  first  invested. 

I left  my  two  chests  containing  clothes  and  books  in 
the  care  of  H.,  and  taking  some  clean  linen  and  a double- 
barrelled  gun,  I started  for  the  wide  world,  according 
to  my  heart’s  desire.  Whither,  I neither  knew  nor 
cared,  except  that  I wished  in  the  first  place  to  see  the 
Falls  of  Niagara,  and  then  to  follow  wherever  fate  might 
send  me.  I was  free,  once  more  free,  and  felt  my  heart 
swell  with  the  feeling  of  independence.  I no  longer 
envied  the  birds  of  passage,  whose  flight  towards  the 
south  my  eyes  had  lately  so  mournfully  followed.  I 
was  as  free  as  they  were,  and  no  less  inclined  to  use  my 
unbound  pinions. 

At  five  in  the  evening  of  the  24th  Oct.,  the  new 
steamer  “ Diamond  ” left  New  York  for  Albany.  I 
stood  on  her  deck  inhaling  with  delight  the  pure  bal- 
samic air,  viewing  with  enchanted  eyes  the  glorious 
scenery. 

My  costume  seemed  probably  gather  eccentric  to 
some  of  the  stiff  Americans,  who  kept  staring  with 


RAILWAY  TO  UTICA. 


43 


curiosity  at  the  foreigner  who  was  leaning  on  his  gun, 
and  thinking  little  about  them,  lost  in  admiration  of 
the  wonderfully  beautiful  landscape  that  extends  along 
the  shores  of  the  Hudson.  Though  my  costume  was 
nothing  extraordinary,  yet  the  tight  leather  trousers, 
high  waterproof  boots,  short  green  shooting  jacket, 
green  cap,  and  open  shirt  collar,  might  have  appeared 
so  to  them.  The  beautiful  double-barrelled  gun  at- 
tracted many  eyes,  as  well  as  the  double-edged  hunting- 
knife  that  hung  on  the  left  side.  The  German  game 
bag,  the  powder-horn,  shot  belt,  — all,  in  short,  was 
different  to  their  fashion. 

The  night  was  cold  and  damp,  and  as  on  the  follow- 
ing morning  the  sun  broke  through  the  thick  clouds, 
his  rays  were  reflected  from  the  steeples  of  Albany ; a 
pretty  little  town,  and  though  I stayed  too  short  a 
time  to  be  able  to  judge,  I believe  it  is  likely  to  become 
a handsome  city.  I left  that  morning  by  the  train  for 
Utica.  It  was  the  first  time  that  I had  travelled  by 
a railroad,  and  cutting  the  air  with  the  speed  of  an 
arrow  made  an  indescribably  agreeable  impression  on 
me.  A drunken  man  next  to  me  told  me  long  stories, 
in  the  still  strange  English,  with  a comically  mournful 
expression  of  countenance,  and  afforded  me  much 
amusement.  We  arrived  at  Utica  during  the  night. 
In  the  street  I found  some  men  with  a carriage,  and 
inquired  of  them  when  the  canal  boat  left ; they 
pointed  to  the  carriage,  one  of  them  taking  me  by  the 
arm ; but  I,  remembering  former  warnings,  set  my 
foot  against  the  door,  and  asked  about  the  fare : 
“ Nothing  to  pay,  nothing  to  pay,”  said  they,  and  at 
one  step  I was  seated  in  the  carriage,  which  soon 


44 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


stopped  before  a very  grand  house.  I did  not  feel 
quite  comfortable  under  all  this  hospitality,  for  every 
light  in  the  large  building  seemed  to  call  out  to  me, 
“ Money  is  the  principal  thing,  therefore  get  money,” 
which  sentence  I recollect  having  to  translate  at  Dr. 
Fliigel’s,  at  Leipzig.  I walked  in,  however,  and  in- 
quired for  the  first  boat  going  to  Buffalo ; meantime 
be  it  said,  my  misgiving  was  not  altogether  unwar- 
ranted, for  I had  to  pay  fifty  cents,  about  2s.  2 d.,  for 
a cup  of  tea  with  bread  and  butter.  The  price  of  the 
boat  was  six  dollars,  table  included,  which  seemed  too 
dear,  and  a German  Jew  who  was  present  took  my 
part  and  made  an  agreement  for  me  for  four  dollars. 
It  was  very  cold  when  I went  on  board  the  canal  boat 
a short  time  before  its  departure,  and  I found  the  warm 
cabin  very  agreeable. 

The  morning  broke  dull  and  rainy,  and  the  break- 
fast-bell roused  us  too  soon  from  our  beds.  An  Ameri- 
can breakfast  is  something  astonishing  to  a newly 
arrived  German.  He  beholds  in  surprise  coffee,  pork, 
pickled  gherkins,  potatoes,  turnips,  eggs,  bread,  butter, 
and  cheese,  all  on  the  table  at  once ; but  as  soon  as 
the  stomach  has  become  accustomed  to  this  strange 
assemblage,  I must  honestly  acknowledge  that  it  suits 
a hungry  Christian  man  much  better  than  dry  bread 
and  weak  coffee. 

After  breakfast  I had  plenty  of  time  to  notice  the 
company  with  whom  I shared  the  narrow  space  of  a 
cabin  in  a canal  boat.  There  were  ten  gentlemen  and 
three  ladies;  these  latter  had  a cabin  to  themselves, 
separated  from  the  other  by  a red  curtain;  over  the 
entrance  was  the  inscription,  “ Ladies’  Cabin,”  with 


AMERICAN  CANAL  BOAT. 


45 


the  friendly  reminder  of  “ No  Admittance.”  The  la- 
dies consisted  of  two  old,  and  one  not  young.  One 
young  man,  certainly  the  greatest  lout  I met  with  in 
America,  deeply  buried  in  a coat  of  his  father’s,  whose 
skirts  nearly  swept  the  ground,  almost  hiding  his  too 
scanty  trowsers,  and  a hat  so  large  that  he  was  obliged 
to  keep  shoving  it  up  from  his  face,  played  the  gallant 
to  them.  These  canal  boats  are  very  long  and  narrow, 
decked  over,  and  rising  about  six  feet  above  the  water  ; 
ours  was  fitted  up  for  the  comfort,  or  rather  discomfort 
of  the  passengers.  They  are  well  provided  with  win- 
dows, hold  a number  of  people,  and  go  very  slowly; 
ours  in  particular,  drawn  by  two  very  quiet  horses, 
seemed  to  traverse  the  landscape  at  a snail’s  pace. 
The  canal  is  crossed  by  numerous  low  bridges,  often 
only  a few  inches  above  the  deck,  and  one  must  be 
constantly  on  the  look-out  not  to  be  swept  overboard, 
a disaster  I once  happened  to  witness.  Sometimes  it 
is  necessary  to  lie  quite  flat,  a precaution  which  also 
has  its  dangers,  and  on  one  occasion  caused  a dreadful 
misfortune,  when  a passenger,  by  a boat  that  had  very 
little  cargo,  was  horribly  crushed  to  death  between  the 
boat  and  the  bridge. 

On  a sudden  we  stopped  with  a tremendous  crash. 
Everybody  jumped  up  to  see  what  had  happened ; our 
boat  was  jammed  with  another  in  a narrow  part  of  the 
canal,  directly  under  a bridge ; and  as  ours  was  the 
stoutest,  she  had  broken  some  of  the  other’s  ribs.  We 
remained  as  immovably  fixed  as  if  we  had  been  built- 
in  ; all  attempts  to  drag  the  boat  backwards  were  in 
vain,  because  the  horses,  knee  deep  in  mud,  would  not 
pull  together.  At  last,  in  a fit  of  compassion,  and 


46 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


trusting  to  my  waterproof  boots,  I jumped  out,  seized 
the  large  whip,  and  giving  the  horses  a few  sharp  cuts, 
I made  them  understand  that  they  could  if  they  would. 
And  they  did,  but  in  doing  so  one  of  them  lashed  out 
behind,  in  the  thickest  of  the  red  mud,  so  that  I was 
splashed  all  over  with  it,  and  looked  more  like  a trout 
than  a human  being.  I crept  back,  resolving  next  time 
not  to  be  quite  so  obliging. 

At  length  the  captain  came  round  for  the  fare ; I 
quietly  handed  out  my  four  dollars,  and  was  not  a little 
astounded  to  learn  that  an  agreement  made  with  a stran- 
ger at  Utica  was  not  binding  on  the  captain,  and  that  I 
must  pay  my  six  dollars  like  the  rest— -a  bit  of  expe- 
rience not  too  dear  at  two  dollars. 

So  far  we  had  been  very  comfortable,  having  had 
plenty  of  room ; but  now  we  took  in  fifteen  more 
passengers,  all  for  Buffalo.  While  daylight  lasted  all 
went  on  well  enough,  but  in  the  evening  I really 
could  not  divine  where  all  the  people  would  be  stowed ; 
yet  with  the  live  cargo  of  the  Bremen  lighter  fresh  in 
my  memory,  I considered  nothing  impossible.  The 
sleeping-places  in  the  canal  boats  consist  of  long  four- 
cornered  frames,  which  in  the  evening  are  hung  up 
along  the  cabin ; and  now  that  the  number  of  passen- 
gers had  so  much  increased,  we  had  to  be  packed  in 
layers.  The  frames  are  covered  with  coarse  strong 
canvas,  on  which  a small  mattress  was  laid ; at  least 
all  the  passengers  who  came  from  Utica  had  that  ac- 
commodation, but  now,  on  account  of  the  number  of  new 
arrivals,  that  luxury  had  to  be  dispensed  with.  I scram- 
bled into  my  swinging  bed,  having  first  examined  the 
fastenings,  leaving  the  lately-arrived  passengers  playing 
at  cards. 


MY  FAT  FELLOW  PASSENGER. 


47 


I awoke  in  the  night  with  a dreadful  feeling  of 
suffocation ; cold  perspiration  stood  on  my  forehead, 
and  I could  hardly  draw  my  breath ; there  was  a weight 
like  lead  on  my  stomach  and  chest.  I attempted  to 
cry  out  — in  vain ; I lay  almost  without  consciousness. 
At  last  I became  quite  awake,  and  remembered  where 
I was,  and  in  what  circumstances  I was  placed.  The 
weight  remained  immovable ; above  me  was  a noise 
like  distant  thunder:  it  was  my  companion  of  the 
upper  story,  who  lay  snoring  over  my  head ; and  that 
the  weight  which  pressed  on  my  chest  was  caused  by 
his  body  no  longer  remained  a doubtful  point.  I en- 
deavored to  move  the  Colossus  — impossible.  I tried 
to  push,  to  cry  out  — in  vain.  He  lay  like  a rock  on 
my  chest,  and  seemed  to  have  no  more  feeling.  As 
all  my  attempts  to  awaken  him  were  ineffectual,  I 
bethought  me  of  my  breastpin,  which  luckily  I had 
not  taken  out  of  my  cravat  the  night  before;  with 
great  difficulty  I succeeded  in  moving  my  arm  and 
reaching  the  pin,  which  I pressed  with  a firm  hand 
into  the  mass  above  me.  There  was  a sudden  move- 
ment, which  procured  me  momentary  relief ; but  the 
movement  soon  subsided,  the  weight  was  growing 
heavier  and  more  insupportable,  and  to  prevent  being 
utterly  crushed,  I was  obliged  to  reapply  the  pin. 
“ What ’s  that  ? ” “ Murder  ! ” “ Help  ! ” cried  a deep 
bass  voice  above  me.  Feeling  myself  free,  I slipped 
like  an  eel  from  under  the  weight,  and  saw,  by  the 
dim  light  reflected  from  a lamp  hanging  under  the 
deck,  a sight  of  no  common  occurrence.  A stout 
heavy  man,  who  slept  in  the  upper  frame  without  a 
mattress,  was  too  much  for  the  well-worn  canvas; 


48 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


during  his  sleep  it  had  given  way  under  the  weightiest 
part  of  his  form,  which  descended  till  it  found  support 
on  my  chest.  The  thrust  of  my  breastpin  had  caused 
him  to  make  an  effort  to  move,  which  gave  me  that 
opportunity  of  making  my  escape  I so  gladly  seized.  As 
he  returned  to  his  former  position  with  greater  force 
and  weight,  from  the  exertions  he  had  made,  the  support 
being  gone,  the  canvas  split  still  wider,  and,  more  than 
half  asleep,  he  was  sitting  on  my  bed,  while  his  head 
and  feet  remained  in  his  own.  He  soon  began  to  call 
out,  “ Help  ! ” “ Murder ! ” Everybody  started  up  to 
see  what  was  the  matter,  and  to  laugh  heartily  at  the 
extraordinary  attitude  of  this  stout  gentleman. 

In  the  morning  we  arrived  at  Lockport,  where  the 
canal  has  a fall  of  sixty  feet,  with  two  sets  of  locks,  one 
for  boats  ascending,  and  the  other  for  those  descending  : 
a noble  work  for  so  young  a country.  Here  I left  the 
boat  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  the  Falls  of  Niagara,  to- 
wards which  I took  the  nearest  road.  It  was  about 
two  in  the  afternoon  when  I arrived  at  this  most 
colossal  wonder  of  all  the  rivers  of  the  earth.  I abstain 
from  any  attempt  to  represent  it ; inadequate  drawings, 
and  thousands  of  descriptions,  are  to  be  found  in  all 
parts  of  the  world ; I will  not  add  to  the  number.  It 
was  so  surprisingly  grand  that  I could  only  gaze  in 
admiration,  and  worship  God. 

My  heart  still  full  of  this  glorious  scene,  I avoided 
the  little  town  of  Manchester,  lying  close  to  the  falls, 
and  followed  the  first  path  that  led  into  the  country, 
partly  for  the  sake  of  shooting,  and  partly  to  find  a 
house  to  sleep  in.  It  became  darker  and  darker,  and 
the  mud  seemed  to  be  getting  deeper  and  deeper,  when 


PENNSYLVANIAN  SMITH  — HAMILTON. 


49 


I espied  a light,  which  acted  as  a guiding  star  through 
the  d'arkness.  It  shone  from  the  quiet  friendly  dwell- 
ing of  a Pennsylvanian  smith,  who  had  settled  in  the 
state  of  New  York,  and  who,  with  benevolent  hospi- 
tality, fed  the  hungry,  and  prepared  a warm  bed  for 
the  tired.  I learned  from  him,  and  from  other  farmers, 
that  Canada  was  a fine  country,  that  the  forests  there 
were  full  of  game,  but  that  sportsmen  were  often 
hard  beset  by  bears  and  wolves. 

I took  but  little  time  to  consider  my  route,  and  on 
the  1st  November,  a steamer  from  Lewiston,  a small 
town  on  the  Niagara  river,  carried  me  over  to  Toronto, 
where  I remained  the  night,  and  started  next  morning 
by  another  steamer  for  Hamilton. 

Hamilton  is  a pretty  little  town  on  Lake  Ontario  in 
Canada,  and  although  only  a short  distance  from  the 
frontier  of  the  United  States,  a great  difference  is  per- 
ceptible as  well  in  general  appearance  as  in  trifles. 
Most  of  the  settlers  in  Canada  consist  of  English,  Scots, 
or  Irish,  who  all  keep  to  their  national  habits.  I twisted 
my  ankle  at  Hamilton,  which  laid  me  under  the  dis- 
agreeable necessity  of  remaining  there  till  the  morning 
of  Saturday  the  4th,  when,  recovered  and  joyful,  I again 
sallied  for  the  woods,  pitying  the  poor  people  who 
were  obliged  to  live  in  towns.  From  Hamilton  I pro- 
ceeded to  Dundas,  also  on  the  Ontario,  and  from  thence 
took  a northerly  direction  towards  Preston,  turning 
aside,  two  miles  short  of  the  town,  to  visit  New  Hope, 
where  dwelt,  as  I was  told,  an  old  German  sportsman. 
I arrived  safe  and  sound  at  New  Hope  on  Sunday 
afternoon,  and  inquired  for  the  abode  of  the  old  Ger- 
man, which  I reached  about  dusk.  He  was  not  at 

5 


50 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


home,  but  some  half-dozen  children  of  all  ages  and 
sizes,  stared  with  their  bright  clear  eyes  at  the  stranger 
and  his  outlandish  costume.  The  father  and  mother 
were  gone  to  church ; and  the  eldest  daughter,  a girl  of 
about  fifteen  or  sixteen,  was  teaching  the  little  ones, 
some  to  read  and  others  to  spell,  from  an  old  well- 
thumbed  catechism.  I sat  myself  quietly  in  the  comer 
to  await  the  return  of  the  parents,  and  listen  to  the 
tattle  of  the  children. 

At  length  the  two  heads  of  the  family  arrived,  to  the 
great  joy  of  the  little  ones,  who  ran  to  meet  them. 
The  man  presented  so  striking  a likeness  to  one  of  my 
friends  in  Germany,  that,  in  my  astonishment,  I hardly 
answered  his  friendly  “ Good  evening.”  After  they 
had  laid  aside  their  church-going  clothes,  and  made 
themselves  comfortable,  we  sat  ourselves  near  the  stove, 
which  in  Canada  often  takes  the  place  of  the  open  fire- 
place, so  hurtful  to  the  eyes.  The  conversation  turned 
mostly  on  farming  and  shooting.  He  seemed  thor- 
oughly to  understand  the  first,  and  to  be  passionately 
fond  of  the  latter.  He  was  just  the  man  for  me. 
He  spoke  of  the  former  abundance  of  game,  which  was 
fast  disappearing  through  the  increasing  population, 
and  he  complained  of  the  number  of  bunglers  who  in- 
fested the  woods,  frightening  the  game,  and  crippling 
the  poor  deer.  He  said  he  was  very  successful  in 
turkey  shooting,  which  is  still  the  same  sport  as  de- 
scribed by  Cooper  in  his  “ Pioneer.” 

When  the  night  was  far  advanced,  my  host  showed 
me  to  a sleeping  place  under  the  roof,  where  there  was 
no  want  of  fresh  air  — but  I slept  like  a top.  He  had 
told  me  of  a lake,  not  many  miles  off,  where  there 


WILD-DUCK  SHOOTING. 


51 


would  most  likely  be  immense  flocks  of  wild  duck; 
so  I was  off  at  daylight  in  search  of  some.  My  new 
acquaintance  had  pointed  out  the  direction  in  which  I 
should  find  the  lake ; a path  was  out  of  the  question, 
but  I thought  that  I should  be  able  to  find  it  without 
looking  at  my  compass,  and  stepped  out  boldly;  but 
the  wood  was  so  thick  and  there  were  so  many  fallen 
trees,  some  lying  one  over  the  other,  that  the  sun 
stood  high,  when,  taking  the  compass  out  of  my  pocket, 
and  by  its  help,  making  a straight  course,  I arrived  at 
the  lake.  I saw  plenty  of  wild-fowl,  but  perhaps 
frightened  by  others,  they  kept  in  the  middle,  very  few 
venturing  near  the  banks.  This  was  out  of  my  reckon- 
ing, but  as  the  lake  did  not  seem  very  large,  I resolved 
on  going  round  it.  I had  killed  three  ducks  one  after 
the  other,  and  in  my  eagerness  had  forgotten  how  the 
hours  flew  by,  till  I suddenly  observed  that  the  sun 
was  fast  approaching  the  west.  I now  saw  that  it  was 
not  possible  to  pass  round  the  lake  before  sunset,  for 
as  I came  to  the  clearings,  I perceived  that  as  yet  I 
had  not  gone  half  the  way.  Thick  masses  of  cloud 
were  gathering  in  the  N.  W.,  and  the  wind  began  to 
rustle  and  moan  through  the  trees.  I expected  to  be 
obliged  to  bivouac  here,  and  slightly  appeased  my 
hunger  with  a bit  of  dry  bread  that  I found  in  my 
pocket,  for  I had  not  had  time  to  roast  one  of  the 
ducks.  The  weather  threatened  worse  and  worse ; in 
no  pleasant  humor  I was  walking  slowly  along  the 
shore,  when  I found  a canoe,  made  of  a hollowed  trunk, 
fastened  to  the  root  of  a tree.  I stepped  in  without 
the  least  compunction,  and  paddled  to  the  opposite 
shore,  distant  about  two  miles  and  a half,  directing  my 


•52 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


course  by  a large  dead  tree.  The  wind  blew  hard,  and 
the  waves  tossed  the  rude  awkward  craft  to  such  a 
degree  that  I was  obliged  to  exert  all  my  strength  and 
skill  to  keep  her  even  and  to  force  her  ahead.  In  the 
mean  time  it  began  to  snow,  so  that  I was  soon  as  white 
as  a miller,  and  had  great’  difficulty  in  keeping  my  eye 
fixed  on  the  dead  tree,  and  thus  preserving  a direct 
course.  At  last  I landed,  secured  the  canoe,  and 
looked  out  for  a path  towards  some  habitation.  Before 
it  became  quite  dark  I had  discovered  a path,  which 
being  wet,  the  snow  melted  on  it  as  it  fell,  leaving  a 
dark  line  along  the  white  ground. 

Suddenly  I heard  a noise  as  if  a whole  herd  of 
buffaloes  were  breaking  through  the  forest,  and  almost 
before  I could  look  round,  a dark-colored  horse 
passed  at  full  speed,  uttering  a very  remarkable 
scream  of  agony.  A rider  sat  on  his  back,  who  looked 
behind  him  in  the  greatest  alarm.  I had  hardly 
caught  sight  of  them,  as  they  passed  so  rapidly,  when 
another  horse,  without  a rider,  rushed  snorting  after 
them.  So  sudden  was  it,  that  I should  have  taken  it 
for  a dream,  if  the  footmarks  in  the  snow  had  not 
convinced  me  of  the  reality.  I did  not  long  indulge  in 
useless  meditation  on  the  cause  of  this  nocturnal  flight 
through  the  forest  in  mist  and  snow,  and  soon  I was 
happy  enough  to  find  a wheel-track.  After  about  an 
hour  and  a half’s  walk,  I saw  a light  in  the  distance, 
and  in  a short  time  knocked  at  the  door  of  a small 
farm-house.  A voice  called  out  in  German  — u Who ’s 
there?”  It  fell  like  balsam  on  all  my  organs,  but 
more  particularly  on  my  stomach.  The  door  was 
opened  by  the  wife  of  a German  wheelwright,  whose 


AN  INDIAN  HUNTER. 


53 


husband  had  ridden  into  a village  some  miles  off,  and 
whose  return  was  expected  every  moment.  The  warm 
stove  restored  my  benumbed  limbs  to  fresh  life,  which 
a cup  of  hot  colfee  served  to  heighten.  The  husband, 
a good-natured  German,  came  back  in  the  course  of  an 
hour.  He  had  arrived  in  the  country  three  years  ago, 
without  a farthing,  and  now  he  had  a nice  little  house, 
a portion  of  land,  and  plenty  of  work.  We  went  to 
bed  about  ten  o’clock.  It  snowed  heavily  all  night,  so, 
in  the  hopes  of  good  sport,  I started  early,  and,  as  my 
host  would  not  accept  money,  I left  him  the  ducks  I 
had  killed  yesterday.  Loading  my  left  barrel  with 
buck-shot,  and  fixing  fresh  caps,  I hastened  out  of  the 
hot  room,  and  inhaled  in  long  draughts  the  fresh 
morning  air. 

After  an  hour’s  march,  and  shooting  nothing  more 
than  a pheasant  and  a rabbit,  I was  startled  by  seeing 
a man  approach  unlike  any  I had  ever  seen  before.  I 
soon  found  that  he  was  a civilized  Indian.  He  was 
dressed  in  a short  woollen  frock,  blue  cloth  trowsers, 
with  broad  seams,  mocassins  on  his  feet,  glass  earrings 
in  his  ears,  and  on  his  head  a red  woollen  shawl,  wound 
like  a turban,  under  which  sparkled  his  dark  fiery  eyes, 
while  his  black  straight  hair  hung  over  his  temples. 
He  carried  the  long  American  rifle,  and  had  altogether 
a bold  and  romantic  appearance.  His  Indian  belt, 
ornamented  with  beads,  held  a tomahawk;  and  his 
powder-horn  and  shot-belt  hung  on  his  right  side. 
After  a short  and  friendly  greeting,  we  attempted  to 
converse,  — but  that  was  no  easy  matter,  he  speaking 
broken  English,  while  I was,  as  yet,  only  partially 
acquainted  with  that  language.  On  my  asking  him  if 

5 * 


54  WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 

he  had  seen  any  game,  he  pointed  to  the  ground  before 
him,  showing  the  fresh  trail  of  a bear  in  the  snow, 
which  I had  not  observed,  as  my  attention  had  been 
drawn  to  him.  He  made  signs  for  me  to  go  with  him, 
and  I need  hardly  say  that  I followed  him  with  a 
heart  beating  with  joy  and  excitement.  We  may  have 
gone  about  five  miles,  through  marsh,  moor,  and  bush, 
over  hill  and  valley,  and  hundreds  of  fallen  trees,  con- 
stantly following  the  trail,  when  my  silent  comrade 
came  to  a halt,  and  pointing  to  a thick  coppice,  said,  — 
“ I believe  we  find  him.”  My  excitement  was  now  at 
its  height ; but  the  Indian  directed  me  quietly  to  take 
my  stand  by  a tree,  while  he  wenj  round  the  coppice 
to  see  if  the  trail  was  continued  on  the  other  side.  I 
had  in  the  mean  time  dropped  a ball  over  the  swan-shot, 
and  eagerly  watched  every  motion  of  the  bush.  It 
opened  suddenly  about  fifty  paces  from  me,  and  the 
bear,  a dark  brown  fellow,  walked  out  to  seek  his 
safety  in  flight.  In  an  instant  my  ball  with  the 

swan-shot,  was  in  his  skin,  and  immediately  after  that 

the  barrel  of  buck-shot.  Perhaps  surprised  by  the  re- 
port of  the  gun,  perhaps  smarting  from  the  buck-shot, 
Bruin  stood  for  a moment  snuffing  the  air,  and  then 
ran  furiously  towards  me.  A ball  from  the  Indian’s 
rifle  stopped  his  attempt  to  revenge  himself,  and 
stretched  him  dead  upon  the  earth.  The  Indian  cut 
down  a young  straight  tree  with  his  tomahawk,  and 
having  ripped  open  and  cleaned  out  the  bear,  we 

bound  his  paws  together,  and,  as  he  was  not  very 

large,  slung  him  to  the  tree,  and  carried  him  to  Preston, 
which  was  not  very  far  off.  We  arrived  in  the  even- 
ing, and  my  Indian  friend  sold  the  bear  for  four  dollars. 


NIGHT  IN  THE  WOODS. 


55 


He  would  probably  remain  in  Preston  till  he  had  spent 
it  all  in  drink,  and  then  take  to  the  woods  again  for 
more  game. 

I began  to  find  the  climate  too  cold  for  me,  and 
several  Germans  had  told  me  that  here  it  was  much 
colder  in  winter  than  in  our  own  country.  I had  no 
fancy  for  that,  so  turned  south  towards  Lake  Ontario, 
in  order  to  get  on  to  Buffalo.  I shot  a pheasant 
which  gave  me  a delicate  meal,  and  had  hardly  left  the 
fire  to  recommence  my  march,  when  I saw  seven  wolves 
standing  at  a distance  of  about  seventy  yards.  Without 
a moment’s  consideration,  I dropped  lightly  down  in 
the  snow  to  load  one  barrel  with  ball,  fearing  that  I 
should  not  do  much  with  No.  4 shot ; but  when  I got 
up  again  the  wolves  had  taken  their  leave.  As  they 
had  fled  towards  the  S.  E.,  I thought  of  following,  to 
try  and  get  one  or  two  of  their  scalps  (government 
gives  si£  dollars  for  a wolf’s  scalp),  but  as  the  sun  was 
getting  low,  and  looked  very  red,  I gave  up  the  chase. 
I had  seen  several  deer  in  the  course  of  the  day,  but 
could  not  get  a shot  at  them,  and  my  stomach  began 
to  complain  considerably.  An  American  would  have 
helped  himself  by  shooting  squirrels,  of  which  there 
were  plenty,  but  I hadn’t  the  heart  to  eat  one  of  these 
happy  little  creatures.  Luckily  I shot  a hare,  and  had 
now  the  comfort  of  being  able  to  appease  my  hunger. 
It  was  out  of  the  question  to  think  of  finding  a house 
for  the  night,  as  I was  no  longer  in  a track,  but  in  the 
thick  of  the  forest,  and  so,  before  it  became  quite  dark, 
I collected  as  much  dry  wood  as  I could,  cleared  away 
the  snow  from  under  a fallen  tree,  and  lighted  a fire 
beneath  it,  which  soon  blazed  up  merrily.  When  I 


56 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


had  got  comfortably  warm,  I set  to  work  on  my  hare. 
I opened  it,  cleaned  it  out  with  snow  as  well  as  I 
could,  and  stuck  it  on  a piece  of  wood  before  the  fire, 
placing  a piece  of  bark  under  it  to  catch  the  dripping, 
with  which  I basted  it.  I felt  very  much  the  want  of 
salt  and  bread,  but  hunger  is  a good  sauce.  With  the 
exception  of  the  two  legs,  which  I reserved  for  break- 
fast, I devoured  the  whole.  When  I had  finished,  I 
heaped  more  wood  on  the  fire,  and  prepared  to  pass 
my  first  night  in  the  open  air  in  America.  I laid  my 
game-bag  under  my  head,  pulled  my  cap  well  over  my 
ears,  and  with  my  feet  to  the  fire  was  soon  asleep.  I 
slept  soundly  till  the  sharp  morning  air  awoke  me. 
The  fire  had  burned  out,  and  I was  quite  benumbed 
by  the  frost,  and  shook  so  that  I could  hardly  light  the 
fire  again.  At  last  I succeeded,  and  gradually  thawed. 
The  rising  sun  found  me  deep  in  consideration  of  my 
two  legs  of  hare,  which  I looked  at  so  long  that  at 
length  I could  see  only  the  bones.  After  thus  taking  care 
of  myself,  I resumed  my  march  southwards  with  fresh 
vigor,  and  about  ten  o’clock  the  crowing  of  a cock 
denoted  that  I was  not  very  far  from  a human  habita- 
tion. I hastened  forward,  and  was  soon  saluted  by  the 
barking  of  dogs.  The  proprietor  was  in  the  forest, 
cutting  wood  for  a fence.  His  wife,  a pretty  little 
American  woman,  treated  me  hospitably  with  bread 
and  milk,  and  assured  me  that  I was  not  above  twenty 
miles  from  the  Buffalo  road,  and  that  I should  find 
plenty  of  farm-houses  as  I went  south.  She  would 
not  on  any  account  accept  payment  for  my  refresh- 
ment, and  so,  with  hearty  thanks,  and  working  my 
way  through  a legion  of  dogs,  I sallied  joyfully  forth, 


A YANKEE  CATTLE  DEALER. 


57 


making  the  Canadian  woods  resound  with  German 
songs. 

On  the  following  morning  I reached  the  Buffalo 
road,  lined  on  both  sides  with  farms,  and  on  which  a 
sort  of  stage-coach  runs.  I was  now  again  in  the  cul- 
tivated  part  of  the  country.  Wheat  is  grown  in  large 
quantities,  and  answers  very  well,  as  do  oats  and 
barley ; Indian  corn  does  not  attain  the  degree  of  per- 
fection in  which  it  is  found  further  south.  The  ears 
were  small,  and  most  of  those  I saw  had  yellow  grain. 

About  thirty  miles  from  the  town,  I overtook  a 
cattle  dealer  from  the  United  States,  who  was  on  his 
road  back.  He  seemed  a good  sort  of  fellow,  and  I 
resolved  to  travel  the  thirty  miles  in  his  company. 
We  soon  became  acquainted.  He  had  two  enormously 
fat  oxen,  which  he  had  bought  in  Canada,  and  a dread- 
fully thin  horse,  on  which  he  kindly  invited  me  to 
take  turns  to  ride,  as  he  would  willingly  walk  a little. 

A light  but  penetrating  rain  was  falling,  and  the 
ride  would  not  have  been  disagreeable,  though  the  road 
had  become  slippery ; only  the  good  man  was  constantly 
offering  the  horse,  while  I was  riding,  to  every  person 
he  met,  and  would  have  been  glad  to  exchange  it  for  a 
couple  of  cows.  When  tired,  he  mounted  again,  and  I 
walked.  He  carried  a book  in  his  pocket  containing 
a deeply  affecting  tragedy,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  firmly 
fixed  in  the  saddle,  he  invariably  took  it  out,  and  began 
to  declaim,  holding  the  book  in  his  left  hand,  and 
gesticulating  vehemently  with  his  right,  in  which  he 
brandished  his  long  cattle  whip.  Whenever  the  more 
interesting  parts  of  the  tragedy  occasioned  an  extra 
forcible  movement  of  the  right  arm,  and  with  it  of  the 


58 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


whip  so  formidable  to  the  oxen,  an  implement  on 
which  they  kept  a constant  watch,  they  started  on  one 
side  or  ran  back,  and  only  the  prosaic  “ Quiet  there ! 
Gently  ! ” &c.,  &c.,  uttered  in  a pathetic  tone,  brought 
back  the  horned  audience  to  their  duty. 

On  the  evening  of  the  11th  of  November,  I came  a 
second  time  to  the  Falls  of  Niagara,  and  could  now  admire 
their  grandeur  and  majesty  from  the  Canadian  side. 
From  thence  a beautiful  road  runs  along  the  Niagara 
river  to  Lake  Erie.  The  road  itself  is  good  and  dry ; on 
the  left  the  glorious  wide  river,  shaded  with  trees  of  the 
original  dark  forest,  on  the  right  a succession  of  pros- 
perous farms,  with  excellent  orchards ; altogether  a 
most  enchanting  prospect.  The  whole  distance  ap- 
peared scarcely  more  than  a few  paces.  A few  miles 
from  Buffalo  I crossed  a ferry  worked  by  horses  in  a 
large  perpendicular  wheel,  and  was  now  in  the  United 
States  again.  What  I saw  of  Canada,  showed  me  that 
it  is,  at  least  this  part  of  it,  a beautiful  and  fertile 
country,  with  a healthy,  though  very  cold  climate,  too 
cold  to  suit  me.  It  produces  excellent  corn,  but  except 
in  the  thickly  inhabited  parts,  sheep  and  pigs  do  not 
succeed  on  account  of  the  numerous  wolves.  Many 
Canadian  farmers  assured  me  that  the  bite  of  a wolf 
was  like  that  of  a venomous  reptile  to  these  animals, 
and  that  however  slightly  they  may  have  been  bitten, 
they  are  sure  to  die.  But  perhaps  these  deaths  may 
have  been  caused  by  the  bites  of  rabid  wolves. 

It  was  Sunday  afternoon  when  I stepped  into  the 
public  room  of  the  “ William  Tell,”  in  Buffalo,  and 
seated  myself  in  a corner  to  rest.  The  eyes  of  several 
respectable  German  operatives,  who  were  all  in  hot 


BUFFALO  POLITICIANS. 


59 


political  debate,  were  at  first  attracted  with  astonish- 
ment towards  the  armed  stranger,  but  soon  following 
up  their  dispute  they  forgot  all  listeners,  and  I think 
it  might  very  likely  have  come  to  more  than  words,  if 
the  host,  a little  fat  figure,  had  not  rolled  himself  in 
amongst  them,  and  restored  peace  with  the  conciliatory 
words  : “ You  are  all  as  foolish  as  so  many  stockfish.” 

In  these  words,  the  equality  of  persons  was  proclaimed, 
and  their  feelings  were  pacified.  It  was,  however,  no 
trifle  that  formed  the  subject  of  their  dispute ; for  an 
honest  shoemaker  would  by  no  means  allow  that  the 
English  could  send  any  troops  over,  on  account  of  the 
disturbances  in  Canada,  because  the  Russian  was  sitting 
across  their  necks.  A cabinet-maker,  seated  opposite  to 
him,  maintained  that  Russia  was  too  far  off  from  Eng- 
land to  be  able  to  make  war  so  quickly ; but  the  shoe- 
maker proved  to  him  so  clearly  that  Russia  was  close  to 
England  on  the  north,  and  that  there  was  only  a broad 
strip  of  land  between  the  two  Principalities,  that  the 
astonished  cabinet-maker  was  silenced  by  the  overwhelm- 
ing amount  of  solid  learning ; the  shoemaker  admitted 
that  the  march  from  Russia  to  England  was  difficult,  as 
the  soldiers  had  sometimes  to  wade  up  to  their  shoulders 
in  sand.  Whence  the  good  man  had  obtained  his  idea 
of  a march  through  sand,  and  his  geographical  knowl- 
edge, is  more  than  I can  say,  but  the  debate  was 
amusing  enough  ; and  when  the  shoemaker  appealed  to 
me  for  my  opinion,  I agreed  with  him  of  course,  but 
told  him  that  the  Russians  intended  to  lay  down  bear- 
skins on  the  sand  to  make  the  march  easier,  upon 
which  he  exclaimed,  in  astonishment,  “ What  desperate 
fellows  ! ” 


60 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


I was  up  early  on  the  following  morning  in  order  to 
see  the  town ; it  is  a very  pretty  place,  and  contains 
many  Germans  ; it  must  become,  and  in  fact  is  already, 
the  central  point  of  all  the  interior  commerce  of  the 
north,  for  railroads,  canals,  steamers,  and  sailing  vessels 
rival  each  other  in  bringing  and  taking  away  produce. 


CHAPTER  III. 


OHIO  — INDIANA  — ILLINOIS MISSOURI. 

Lake  Erie  — Cleveland  — Double-beds  — March  through  the  forest 
— Canton — Cincinnati  — Lawrencebourg  — A burning  forest  — 
Deserted  farm-house  — Wet  weather  and  swollen  rivers  — A 
drunken  companion  — Versailles  — Intrepid  German  Jews  — 
Vincennes  — Fording  a river — The  prairies  of  Illinois  — Shoot- 
ing deer  — Salem  — An  Illinois  settler  — Lebanon  — Ague  — 
Passage  of  the  Mississippi  — St.  Louis  — German  emigrants  — 
A week’s  work  in  the  forest  — Lead  mines  of  Missouri  — Courant 
river,  the  boundary  of  Missouri. 

About  noon  the  steamer  “North  America”  left  for 
Cleveland,  in  Ohio  State,  and  with  it  my  worthy  self. 
There  was  such  a number  of  passengers  in  the  steerage, 
that  it  was  hardly  possible  to  move,  and  the  state  of 
affairs  was  made  worse  by  each  of  the  American  ladies  * 
having  a short  pipe  in  her  mouth.  Yet  worse  was 
coming.  Lake  Erie,  under  the  influence  of  a strong 
breeze,  began  to  get  very  rough  in  its  treatment 
of  the  boat ; one  pipe  after  another  was  extinguished, 
and  the  visages  lengthened  and  whitened  very  suspi- 
ciously. I observed  this  change  with  horror,  and  took 

* Two  Englishmen  travelling  together  in  America,  on  board  a 
steamer,  one  of  them  was  thus  accosted : “ I am  the  gentleman  that 
cleans  the  shoes,  and  that  man  (pointing  to  the  other)  says,  you  are 
to  pay.”  — Translator. 


6 


(61) 


62 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


refuge  in  one  of  the  uppermost  of  three  rows  of  sleeping 
berths,  to  be  out  of  range  of  shot. 

It  was  dark  when  we  arrived  at  Cleveland,  and  I 
stood  on  the  shore  in  some  difficulty,  not  knowing 
exactly  where  to  look  for  shelter,  when  a young  Ger- 
man, who,  by  the  light  of  a lantern,  recognized  me  by 
s my  costume  for  a fellow  countryman,  asked  me  if  I 
would  like  to  pass  the  night  in  a German  house : on 
my  quickly  agreeing  to  it,  he  led  me  to  one,  some  hun- 
dred yards  off,  where  I soon  went  to  bed.  The  beds 
in  America  are  all  double,  that  is  to  say,  so  wide  as 
easily  to  hold  three,  and  indeed  I have  sometimes  made 
a fourth.  I was  shown  into  this  abode  of  dreams  by  a 
little  hump-backed  youth,  and  on  my  asking  if  I could 
sleep  alone  there,  he  replied  that  perhaps  some  stranger 
might  come  by  the  stage-coach.  Towards  midnight  I 
was  disturbed  by  a noise,  and  thought  to  myself  “ Oh, 
oh,  here  comes  the  stranger ; ” and  as  I was  not  yet 
accustomed  to  this  American  fashion,  I took  the  trouble 
to  look  up  to  see  what  my  bedfellow  was  like,  and  had 
the  felicity  to  see  that  a negro  as  black  as  pitch  was 
preparing  his  ebony  members  to  occupy  part  of  my  bed. 
I moved  to  the  extreme  edge,  leaving  at  least  two- 
thirds  of  the  space  to  this  son  of  the  night.  I was  at 
this  time  but  little  acquainted  with  American  habits, 
and  if  this  had  happened  to  me  later,  the  landlord 
would  not  have  had  a whole  bone  in  his  skin ; for  it  is 
the  greatest  insult  to  a white  man  in  North  America, 
and  more  particularly  in  the  slave  states,  to  place  a ne- 
gro on  equal  terms  with  him. 

I was  up  before  day,  and,  according  to  custom,  went 
out  to  have  a look  at  the  town.  From  Cleveland  I 


WET  AND  WEARY. 


63 


set  off  along  the  canal  that  goes  to  Portsmouth,  on  the 
river  Ohio,  intending  to  visit  my  fellow  passenger  by 
the  “ Constitution,”  the  apothecary  Vogel,  at  the  village 
of  Canton.  I shot  several  wild-fowl  and  a few  hares 
as  I went  along,  and  found  a bed  at  a New  Englander’s, 
who  gave  me  a hospitable  reception.  I was  much 
amused  by  a little  German  maid,  who  had  only  lately 
left  her  home,  and  understood  very  little  English,  but 
as  she  spoke  Low  German,  they  managed  to  make  out 
what  each  party  wanted ; they  had  a great  regard  for 
her,  as  she  was  very  industrious. 

It  was  the  17th  of  November  when  I arrived  at  the 
agreeable  little  town  of  Canton,  situated  in  the  middle 
of  the  forest.  Some  of  the  buildings  were  in  very 
good  taste.  My  friend  was  not  here,  and  I learned  that 
he  lived  in  Cincinnati ; so  I decided  on  seeking  him 
there,  and,  having  nothing  to  detain  me  in  Canton,  I 
set  off  again  the  same  evening. 

Ohio  is  very  extensively  cultivated,  and  the  journey 
through  such  a succession  of  fields  was  rather  mono- 
tonous ; there  was  a farm-house  to  he  seen  nearly  every 
half  hour,  yet  here  and  there  was  a pretty  bit  of  forest, 
as  I found  rather  too  soon.  About  a hundred  miles 
from  Cincinnati  I was  overtaken  one  evening  by  a 
heavy  penetrating  rain,  and  was  soon  wet  through 
and  through.  I was  anxious  to  find  shelter,  and  was 
travelling  a well-frequented  road,  when  all  at  once  it 
divided  into  three ; I chose  the  most  beaten,  and 
pushed  on  through  mud  and  mire,  till  I came  to  a 
wood,  where  all  further  traces  of  a road  vanished, 
leaving  me  cold  and  wet  in  the  forest.  A fire  was  out 
of  the  question.  I was  not  inclined  to  return,  as  the 


64 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


other  roads  might  also  lead  to  the  forest;  so  I made 
my  way  through  the  shrubs  and  bushes,  which  could 
not  make  me  more  wet  than  I was  already.  I sank 
down  from  fatigue  at  times,  but,  after  a few  moments, 
rest,  roused  myself  to  fresh  efforts.  At  length,  like  a 
port  to  a ship  in  a storm,  I saw  a light  through  the 
branches.  I hastened,  as  fast  as  my  tired  legs  would 
carry  me,  in  that  direction,  and  soon  came  to  a fence, 
and  shortly  afterwards  to  a farm-house.  The  farmer 
looked  at  first  rather  shyly  at  the  dripping  wet  traveller, 
who  requested  entrance  so  late  in  the  night;  but  the 
customary  hospitality  did  not  let  him  hesitate  long, 
and  a warm  fire,  with  a quickly  prepared  supper,  con- 
siderably refreshed  my  stiff  and  weary  limbs. 

I arrived  at  Cincinnati,  the  largest  town  in  Ohio, 
on  the  river  of  that  name,  on  the  26th  of  November, 
without  further  adventures,  and  found  my  friend  the 
apothecary  quite  well ; the  hearty  pleasure  he  expressed 
on  seeing  me  was  ample  reward  for  the  trouble  I had 
taken  to  find  him,  and  I passed  some  happy  days  in 
his  society.  I was  mu'ch  pleased  with  the  fine  town  of 
Cincinnati,  the  “ Queen  of  the  West,”  as  the  Americans 
call  it.  It  is  the  centre  of  commerce  of  the  West,  and 
owes  its  rapid  rise  and  prosperity  to  its  connection  by 
steamers  and  railroads  with  the  seaports  on  the  east 
coast,  by  canal  with  Lake  Erie  and  the  St.  Lawrence, 
and  by  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  with  New  Orleans. 
From  Cincinnati  I made  short  shooting  excursions  into 
Kentucky,  though  with  little  success,  obtaining  at  most 
a few  hares,  and  some  of  the  small  American  partridges, 
with  now  and  then  a wild  duck. 

On  the  6th  of  December  I bid  adieu  to  the  agreeable 


OUT  IN  THE  WOODS. 


65 


town  of  Cincinnati,  and  on  the  same  evening  arrived  at 
the  border  of  the  State,  formed  by  the  little  river 
Miami : I slept  there,  and  crossed  over  into  Indiana  on 
the  following  morning.  Two  miles  further  I reached 
the  little  town  of  Lawrencebourg,  on  the  Ohio,  and 
inquired  the  nearest  way  to  St.  Louis ; a question 
which  no  one  could  answer,  as  they  said  they  never 
knew  of  any  one  travelling  hundreds  of  miles  on  foot, 
when  they  could  go  so  easily  by  the  steamers.  At 
last,  with  much  trouble,  I learnt  something  of  the 
direction,  and  set  off  on  the  journey.  I got  a good 
dinner  at  a farmer’s  in  return  for  a hare  I had  shot, 
and  passed  the  night  in  a solitary  house  with  some  very 
worthy  people. 

The  8th  of  December  was  a fine  day  for  a walk,  and 
the  evening  was  mild  and  agreeable.  I was  walking 
on  at  a good  pace,  when  a farmer  told  me  as  I passed 
his  house  that  I should  find  a mill  about  six  or  seven 
miles  further  on,  where  I could  pass  the  night;  the 
sun  was  already  low  in  the  heavens.  I was  in  the 
midst  of  a thick  wood  when  it  became  dark,  and  no 
mill  to  be  seen after  some  time  it  was  somewhat 
lighter,  and  I had  no  fear  of  losing  my  way ; moreover, 
the  temperature  was  very  agreeable,  and  in  case  of 
necessity,  I should  not  have  minded  camping  out,  or 
sleeping  in  the  forest.  At  length  I saw  a light  at 
some  distance  through  the  trees,  and  the  hopes  of  a 
warm  bed  and  cup  of  hot  coffee  produced  a good 
effect  upon  my  European  system,  as  yet  unweaned 
from  these  luxuries.  As  I advanced,  the  lights  became 
brighter  and  more  numerous,  and  I did  not  know  what 
to  think.  Was  it  a town,  or  an  Indian  camp  before 
6 * 


66 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


me  ? To  put  an  end  to  the  uncertainty  I hurried  on, 
particularly  as  my  right  road  lay  in  that  direction,  and 
soon  I stood  before  a burning  forest,  blazing  up  glo- 
riously in  the  dark  night,  making  the  background 
still  darker,  and  giving  a ghost-like  appearance  to  the 
trees  on  the  right  and  left.  This  new  scene  was  too 
wonderful  and  imposing  for  me  to  hurry  past  it ; so  I 
sat  down  on  one  of  the  fallen  scorched  trunks  to 
enjoy  the  awfully  sublime  prospect.  I may  have 
remained  sitting  looking  on  for  about  half  an  hour, 
when,  about  twenty  paces  from  me,  a blazing  oak  fell 
with  a heavy  hollow  sound,  sending  glowing  charcoal, 
burning  branches,  and  thousands  of  sparks  in  all 
directions.  This  was  rather  too  near  to  be  pleasant, 
so  I turned  to  seek  another  road  through  the  forest, 
which  appeared  now  so  much  darker  than  before,  on 
account  of  the  brilliant  light  I had  just  been  gazing 
on. 

There  seemed  to  be  no  end  to  the  forest,  and  I began 
to  think  that  the  mill  existed  only  in  the  good  farmer’s 
imagination,  when  I heard  a sound  of  rushing  water, 
and,  later,  the  lowing  of  a cow.  I turned  off  in  the 
direction  of  the  sound,  first  taking  the  precaution  to 
light  a fire,  that  I might  retrace  my  steps  in  case  I lost 
my  way.  About  half  a mile  brought  me  within  sight 
of  a dwelling ; on  coming  nearer  I discovered  a mill- 
dam,  and  several  cows  standing  about  the  fence  saluted 
the  new  comer  with  a long-drawn  friendly  low.  I 
joyfully  shook  the  dust  from  my  feet,  and  knocked  at 
the  low  door : all  was  as  silent  as  the  grave.  I knocked 
again  — nothing  moved  — no  voice  called  a welcome 
“ come  in.”  After  knocking  three  times,  I was  accus- 


THE  FOREST  MILL A RACCOON. 


67 


tomed  to  open  the  door ; I pushed  this  open  in  rather 
ill-humor,  and  found  — a deserted  house,  with  all  as 
still  as  death.  The  stars  shone  through  a hole  in  the 
roof,  the  chimney  had  fallen  in.  It  causes  a shudder 
to  see  a place  deserted  that  you  expect  to  find  occupied 
by  an  industrious  family : I closed  the  door,  and  sprang 
over  the  fence,  leaving  the  building  to  its  mournful  sol- 
itude. 

The  fire  I had  lighted  was  nearly  burnt  out,  but  I 
found  it  again,  and  followed  hastily  my  former  path. 
After  about  another  hour’s  walk,  I heard  the  bark  of 
a dog,  and  confiding  with  a joyful  heart  in  this  sure 
sign  of  an  approach  to  a human  habitation,  I stepped 
out  quickly  to  the  long-sought  mill.  Dogs  bayed,  the 
wheel  clattered,  a bright  light  shone  through  all  the 
crevices  of  the  loghouse,  and  everything  showed  that 
I should  soon  find  shelter  for  the  night ; — and  in  a few 
minutes  I was  comfortably  seated  in  the  chimney 
corner. 

My  host  was  a kindly,  good-humored  man,  had 
lived  some  years  in  Indiana,  and  was  in  good  circum- 
stances. After  a delicious  supper,  he  led  me  out  of 
the  house,  and  said,  “ I will  show  you  a little  chap, 
such  as  you  never  saw  before  in  your  life.”  He  kept 
his  word.  Under  an  inverted  tub  was  a gray  animal, 
about  the  size  of  a cat,  but  thicker  in  the  body,  with 
short  legs,  head  and  muzzle  like  a fox,  or  rather,  more 
like  a colossal  rat,  with  ugly  finger-like  claws,  and  a 
tail  about  a foot  long,  devoid  of  hair.  These  creatures 
are  constantly  on  the  look-out  for  fowls,  and  make 
great  havoc  amongst  the  farmers’  poultry.  The  Amer- 
icans, and  sometimes  the  immigrant  Germans,  eat  the 


68 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST, 


flesh  and  esteem  it  a delicacy.  The  miller  made  no 
ceremony  with  his  prisoner,  and,  after  killing  it,  he  cut 
off  its  claws  and  tail,  skinned  it,  washed  it,  and  pre- 
pared it  for  cooking,  telling  me  it  would  serve  for  a deli- 
cate breakfast ; but  I could  not  make  up  my  mind  to 
eat  an  animal  looking  so  much  like  a rat. 

It  rained  hard  all  night,  giving  me  a sorry  prospect 
for  my  next  day’s  journey  ; nevertheless,  I rose  early, 
and  took  leave  of  the  miller  on  purpose  to  escape  his 
“ delicate  breakfast.” 

The  ground  was  soft  and  slippery,  and  it  was  not 
without  reason  that  I had  feared  the  swelling  of  the 
mountain  streams ; yet,  trusting  in  my  fortune,  I went 
on  in  good  spirits.  About  ten  o’clock  it  began  to  rain 
again  pretty  sharply,  and  about  noon  I came  to  a 
rapid,  roaring  mountain  stream,  which  rushed  towards 
the  Ohio,  carrying  some  large  trees  along  with  it. 
Here  it  was  necessary  to  reflect  on  what  was  best  to 
be  done,  for  though  I could  have  swum  across,  it  would 
have  been  extremely  disagreeable,  as  I had  no  change 
of  clothing,  and  the  water  was  considerably  colder 
than  the  air.  After  wandering  for  some  miles  up  and 
down  the  river  in  search  of  means  to  cross  it,  night 
came  on,  and  I was  obliged  to  camp  in  the  wood. 
After  kindling  a good  fire,  I went  to  sleep,  lulled  by 
the  sound  of  the  water,  but  waking  up  now  and  then, 
thinking  I might  receive  a visit  from  some  wild 
beast.  « 

On  the  following  morning  I was  early  on  my  legs, 
and  examined  the  river.  Like  all  these  mountain 
streams,  it  had  risen  rapidly,  and  fallen  as  quickly, 
having  considerably  abated  in  the  course  of  the  night. 


A PLEASANT  TRAVELLING  COMPANION.  69 


I had  already  resolved  on  trying  the  passage,  when  I 
saw  two  horsemen  coming  down  the  hill  towards  me. 
My  difficulties  were  now  at  an  end ; one  of  them  took 
me  up  behind,  and  I was  landed  all  dry  on  the  other 
side. 

I kept  on  along  the  somewhat  inclined  road,  some- 
times slipping,  sometimes  sinking  deep  in  mud,  abusing 
all  American  roads  and  American  weather,  when,  not 
very  far  from  the  little  town  of  Versailles,  I saw  a 
man  with  a rifle  coming  down  the  hill  towards  me. 
He  did  not  seem  to  be  keeping  a very  steady  course, 
and  when  we  came  nearer,  I saw  clearly  that  I had 
not  made  a great  mistake  in  supposing  him  to  be  very 
drunk.  When  he  came  up  to  me,  he  winked  with  his 
glassy  eyes,  and  shook  me  heartily  by  the  hand  : so  far 
so  good : but  when  he  caught  sight  of  a bottle  I had 
slung  by  my  side,  he  made  a sudden  grasp  at  it ; how- 
ever, I was  too  quick  for  him,  and,  like  a bear  defend- 
ing her  cubs,  I wrenched  it  out  of  his  hand,  and  then, 
with  the  most  imperturbable  look  in  the  world,  I said 
“ That  is  not  for  you,”  and  placed  it  in  my  pocket.  Pie 
yielded  to  his  fate  ; but,  seeing  my  double-barrelled  gun, 
he  wanted  to  examine  it  closer,  and  to  have  a shot 
with  it.  By  this  time  I had  had  enough  of  it,  and 
would  not  trust  him,  so  I turned  on  my  heel  and  con- 
tinued my  journey.  He  called  out  “ Stop  ! ” I took 
no  notice  ; again  he  called  out,  “ Stop  ! ” and  I dis- 
tinctly heard  him  cock  his  rifle.  I turned  instantly, 
taking  my  gun  from  my  shoulder,  but  too  late ; 
his  ball  went  whistling  just  over  my  head,  and  the 
echo  repeated  the  sharp  crack  of  his  rifle.  I now  lost 
all  patience,  and  snatching  the  whalebone  ramrod  out 


70 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


of  my  gun,  I ran  after  him,  caught  him  by  the  collar, 
pulled  him  down,  and  belabored  him  with  the  pliant 
ramrod,  till  only  a few  inches  of  it  were  left,  he  roaring 
“ Mur — der  ! ” “ Mur— -der  ! ” all  the  while  with  might 
and  main.  I must  acknowledge  that  I felt  some  satis- 
faction as  I left  him  lying  smarting  in  the  mud. 

Towards  evening  I passed  through  Versailles,  where 
I procured  a new  ramrod.  What  a piece  of  irony  to 
call  such  a place  Versailles ! but  it  is  a custom  of  the 
Americans  to  give  high-sounding  names  to  their  little 
settlements.  Already  in  the  State  of  New  York,  I 
had  passed  through  Syracuse,  Babylon,  Rome,  Venice, 
Alexandria,  London,  and  Paris  — villages  of  seven  or 
eight  houses. 

I arrived  about  the  11th  December  at  Friedmann’s 
farm.  The  proprietor  was  a German  in  good  circum- 
stances in  Indiana : his  property,  though  not  large,  was 
very  productive,  and  his  cattle  were  very  fine.  He 
was  the  only  German  settler  whom  I fell  in  with  in  my 
march  through  Indiana,  although  there  are  several  in 
that  state.  The  sound  of  my  mother  tongue  fell 
doubly  sweet  on  my  ear  after  so  long  a privation.  I 
remained  to  dinner,  and  then  set  off  in  good  spirits,  on 
a road  which  improved  as  I advanced,  towards  Vin- 
cennes on  the  Wabash. 

Towards  evening  on  the  12th,  I came  to  a large, 
clean-looking  house,  and  when  I went  in  to  ask  if  I 
could  have  a bed,  I found  two  German  Jews  sitting 
comfortably  by  the  fire,  who  looked  at  me  with  aston- 
ishment, and,  as  it  seemed 1 to  me,  with  displeasure. 
The  host  was  an  elderly  man,  whose  grandfather  and 
grandmother  had  emigrated  from  Germany  ; he  spoke 


MY  ISRAELITE  FELLOW-LODGERS. 


71 


very  good  German,  and  was  uncommonly  friendly,  and 
we  chatted  away  together  the  whole  evening.  The  two 
Israelites  had  in  the  mean  time  been  whispering  a great 
deal  together ; at  length  one  of  them  brought  his  chair 
nearer  to  mine,  and  began  asking  several  questions, 
which  I readily  answered ; amongst  others,  if  I should 
start  early  in  the  morning,  and  which  way  I intended 
to  go  ? why  I carried  a gun  and  hunting  knife  ? &c.  It 
struck  me  that  they  were  not  very  courageous,  and  I 
resolved  to  have  a joke  with  them  : I first  asked  if 
they  carried  on  a good  business  ? what  sort  of  wares  they 
had  in  their  two  large  packs ; if  they  had  any  articles 
of  gold  ? if  they  meant  to  leave  early  ? which  road  they 
intended  to  take  ? if  they  would  have  far  to  go  through 
the  forest,  before  they  came  to  another  farm?  The 
Jew  anxiously  parried  all  these  questions,  while  his 
companion  sat  by  without  speaking  a word  ; but  when 
I asked  if  they  had  made  much  money,  they  both  called 
out  in  a scream,  “We  have  got  no  money  at  all;  ” so 
that  I was  obliged  to  bite  my  lip  to  prevent  a burst  of 
laughter. 

I was  disturbed  several  times  in  the  night  by  the 
squabbling  of  the  Israelites  about  the  best  place  in 
their  common  bed.  On  waking  up  at  early  dawn  I 
saw  that  the  birds  were  flown.  When  I descended  to 
my  host,  the  two  large  packs  and  the  two  Jews  had 
disappeared ; on  my  inquiring  after  them,  he  told  me 
that  they  had  started  before  daylight  with  as  little  noise 
as  possible.  I laughed  heartily,  and  told  him  the  whole 
history,  which  tickled  him  amazingly. 

The  road  from  this  house  was  at  first  pretty  good, 
but  it  rained  hard.  When  I came  to  the  fiat  country 


72 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


in  the  neighborhood  of  Vincennes  it  was  full  of  pools, 
and  on  arriving  on  the  prairie,  about  a mile  from  that 
town,  the  whole  space  between  it  and  me  was  one 
sheet  of  water.  Night  coming  on,  it  would  have  been 
impossible  for  me  to  find  my  way  but  for  occasional 
lights  in  the  town,  towards  which  I directed  my  steps, 
sometimes  over  my  knees  in  water,  and  arrived  about 
seven  o’clock  in  Vincennes,  which  had  not  much  to 
boast  of  as  to  dryness.  The  night  was  dark  as  pitch, 
as  I groped  my  way  along  the  unlighted  streets  in 
search  of  quarters.  A pair  of  lonely  oxen  standing  in 
the  street  looked  at  me  pathetically,  and  lowed  as 
I passed  close  by  them.  A short  distance  from  them 
I found  the  house  I wanted:  it  belonged  to  a Penn- 
sylvanian German,  who  kept  a tavern.  I was  soon  in 
front  of  a warm  refreshing  fire,  which,  in  my  present 
condition,  was  what  I stood  most  in  need  of.  As  soon 
as  I was  well  warmed,  I took  a survey  of  the  neigh- 
borhood. Around  me  was  a set  of  regular  conven- 
tional faces,  with  American  indifference  stamped  on 
the  countenances  of  all  the  company,  who,  having 
finished  their  meal,  were  sitting  round  the  fire,  rocking 
in  their  chairs,  and  picking  their  teeth.  But  amongst 
them  I perceived  fixed  upon  me  the  glances  of  a pair 
of  real  German  looking  eyes.  I addressed  their  owner, 
and  found  that  I had  not  been  mistaken;  he  was  a 
German  smith  and  mason,  and  a very  well  educated 
man  for  his  station.  We  sat  talking  together  by  the 
fire  till  late  in  the  night.  In  the  heat  of  conversation, 
he  repeated  some  of  his  own  poetry,  which  I listened 
to  patiently,  in  return  for  his  kind  attempts  to  amuse 
me.  He  had  been  a lone;  time  in  America,  and  had 


FORDING  THE  WABASH. 


73 


suffered  much,  without  gaining  much  experience,  being 
one  of  those  good-natured  so^|ls,  who  are  unwilling  to 
take  advantage  of  others,  though  often  imposed  upon 
themselves. 

It  rained  in  torrents  during  the  night,  but  cleared 
up  towards  morning,  and  began  to  freeze.  On  going 
down  to  the  river  I met  some  horsemen,  who  had 
returned  from  the  other  side,  and  declared  that  it  was 
not  possible  to  proceed;  for  not  only  was  the  water 
very  deep,  but  the  ice  on  the  surface  was  so  thick,  that 
it  would  have  cut  the  horses  in  breaking  through  it. 
For  a moment  I was  undecided:  I could  not  stay  in 
Vincennes,  because  my  small  supply  of  money  would 
not  admit  of  great  outlay,  and  I had  yet  a considerable 
distance  to  travel.  I went  down  to  the  ferry,  but  the 
ferrymen  also  strongly  advised  me  to  remain  at  Vin- 
cennes, as  the  road  was  quite  impassable:  however  I 
was  obstinate,  and  crossed  the  ferry. 

The  ground  was  dry  close  to  the  river,  but  I was 
stopped  by  the  water  further  on.  I persisted  till  noon, 
trying  to  find  a passage,  and  upon  a tolerably  empty 
stomach,  for  I had  eaten  little  more  for  the  last  twenty- 
four  hours  than  a bit  of  bread  and  cheese.  Yet  I 
made  no  progress,  so  I resolved  to  dash  at  it,  and  wade 
through  the  water  to  some  houses  about  two  miles  off, 
where  the  ferrymen  had  told  me  I should  find  dry 
ground.  At  first  it  was  only  up  to  my  knees,  and  my 
water-proof  boots  kept  me  dry ; but  it  soon  became 
deeper  and  deeper.  I was  obliged  to  fasten  my  game- 
bag  on  my  shoulder,  and  wade  along,  sometimes  up  to 
the  waist,  and  sometimes  up  to  the  chest  in  the  cold 
olement,  all  the  while  having  to  break  the  ice  in  front 

7 


74 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  PAR  WEST. 


of  me  with  the  butt  of  my  gun.  It  took  four  hours 
to  do  the  two  miles,  and  only  the  conviction  that  I 
must  either  break  through  the  ice  or  drown,  gave  me 
force  to  carry  out  my  resolution.  At  length  I reached 
a fence,  and  stepped  on  dry  ground.  I endeavored  to 
climb  over  in  vain ; my  lower  garments  and  limbs 
were  frozen  too  hard.  I was  obliged  to  pull  down  a 
part  of  it  to  make  a passage,  and  it  was  not  till  I had 
been  more  than  an  hour  by  the  fire  that  I was  thawed 
enough  to  be  able  to  move  freely. 

The  continuation  of  the  road  was  dry,  with  one  short 
exception ; and  the  next  house  that  I came  to  was 
quite  a harbor  of  refuge  for  this  night,  as  I was  much 
in  need  of  rest  and  refreshment. 

I now  for  the  first  time  saw  the  wide  prairies  which 
extend  through  Illinois,  and  present  a dismal  prospect 
in  this  cold  season.  The  long  waving  yellow  grass 
gives  a melancholy  tint  to  the  picture ; the  wide  spread 
straw-colored  surface,  fringed  by  a forest  in  the  dis- 
tant horizon,  depresses  the  spirits.  The  frost  had  set 
in  again,  so  that  at  least  I could  follow  my  route  with 
dry  feet,  and  at  a good  pace.  The  first  head  of  large 
game  that  I fell  in  with  was  a buck,  making  long 
jumps  through  the  high  grass,  and  putting  up  large 
flocks  of  prairie  fowl,  which  flew  to  some  distance 
before  they  settled.  In  the  house  where  I passed  the 
night,  I gave  my  gun  a thorough  cleaning,  and  put  it 
in  good  condition.  On  the  following  morning,  about 
eight  o’clock,  I came  to  the  Fox  river,  where  I found 
two  houses.  To  my  astonishment,  this  also  was  a 
town,  and  called  Waterton.  A very  pretty  American 
woman,  who  kept  a sort  of  tavern,  set  bread  and  milk 


A WET  ROAD  — BUCK-SHOOTING. 


75 


with  wild  honey  before  me.  She  tried  hard  to  per- 
suade me  to  settle  here,  and,  if  possible,  induce  other 
Germans  to  do  so ; but  my  water  excursion  was  still 
too  fresh  in  my  memory  for  me  to  take  a fancy  to  the 
place,  although  it  appeared  to  be  a land  of  milk  and 
honey,  for  enormous  herds  of  cattle  were  pasturing  in 
the  prairies,  and  wild  honey  was  very  abundant. 

.1  was  so  refreshed  by  my  meal,  that  I went  on  my 
way  with  the  springing  step  of  a Sedan-chairman.  I 
had  indulged  in  the  agreeable  idea  of  a dry  road,  but 
found  myself  wofully  deceived,  for  as  the  little  Wabash 
had  overflowed  its  banks,  I had  about  two  miles  to 
wade  through  water.  The  road  lay  along  rather  high 
ground,  and  was  clear  of  ice,  but  there  was  plenty 
of  it  between  the  trees  on  the  lower  levels.  As  I 
approached  the  end  of  the  watery  path,  and  could  see 
dry  land  in  front  of  me,  I heard  something  rustling 
through  the  water,  and  crashing  the  ice : I looked 
round,  and  beheld  five  deer  coming  towards  me  with 
long  bounds.  I stood  quite  still,  awaiting  their  ap- 
proach with  a beating  heart;  a noble  buck  and  four 
does  were  passing  about  fifty  paces  from  me.  I aimed 
at  the  leader ; he  made  a spring  into  the  air,  and  fell 
dead.  I had  some  trouble  to  bring  my  buck  to  land ; 
for  although  the  American  deer  are  smaller  than  the 
German  red  deer,  yet  the  one  I had  shot  weighed  at 
least  140  pounds.  I cut  him  up,  skinned  him,  lopped 
a branch  from  a tree,  made  a bag  of  the  skin  with  the 
hair  outwards,  put  the  two  legs  and  back  into  it,  then 
hanging  the  rest  on  a tree  for  any  new  comer,  I 
trudged  away  with  my  burden  for  a couple  of  miles  to 
the  village  of  Maysville.  Here  I sold  my  prize,  and 


76 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


passed  the  night,  starting  on  the  following  morning 
across  a twelve-mile  prairie. 

A cutting  north-wester  blew  from  the  great  lakes, 
so  that  my  quickest  pace  hardly  sufficed  to  keep  me 
warm.  After  passing  through  a small  wood,  and  sur- 
mounting a hill,  I came  to  another  little  town,  called 
Salem.  On  the  21st  of  December  I had  another 
prairie,  twenty-two  miles  wide,  before  me : though 
still  very  cold,  it  was  good  walking  over  the  hard 
frozen  ground.  In  the  evening  I arrived  at  a farm- 
house, where  I passed  the  night.  Just  as  I came  to 
the  house,  the  farmer  was  leading  his  horse  by  the 
bridle  into  the  sitting-room,  which  I should  have  taken 
for  the  stable,  had  I not  seen  smoke  issuing  from  the 
chimney.  Full  of  curiosity,  I followed  my  host  into 
his  little  dwelling,  and  here  the  riddle  was  explained. 
He  had  been  hauling  wood,  and  he  had  fastened  his 
horse  to  a log  about  eight  feqt  long,  to  draw  it  into 
the  house;  then  he  rolled  it  to  the  fire-place,  which 
took  up  nearly  one  whole  side  of  the  little  block-house, 
and  as  he  could  not  conveniently  turn  the  horse  on 
account  of  tables,  chairs,  and  beds,  he  had  made  an 
opening  on  the  side  opposite  the  door,  in  order  to  lead 
him  out  again.  I had  shot  several  prairie  birds  in 
the  course  of  the  day,  and  they  afforded  us  a delicate 
supper.  They  are  very  numerous  in  these  wide  plains, 
and  I have  seen  flocks  of  from  600  to  700  of  them. 
They  are  about  the  size  of  our  domestic  fowls,  but  with 
a longer  neck,  and  have  a tail  like  a partridge ; their 
color  is  an  ashy  gray.  * I shot  only  one  gray  prairie 
wolf;  they  are  much  smaller  than  the  black  wolves, 
and  very  shy. 


ILLINOIS  AND  ITS  CLIMATE. 


77 


On  the  23rd  of  December  I arrived  at  Lebanon,  a little 
hamlet  on  a hill  about  twenty  miles  from  St.  Louis.  My 
thoughts  turned  involuntarily  to  the  gigantic  cedars ; the 
highest  tree  on  this  mountain  of  Lebanon  was  the  tavern 
sign-post.  Next  day  I had  a march  of  thirty-two  miles : 
as  the  usually  soft  ' ground  was  now  frozen  hard,  the 
route  was  very  rough,  and  hurt  my  feet ; yet  I pushed  on, 
and  in  the  afternoon  arrived  in  the  valley  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, or,  as  they  call  it  opposite  St.  Louis,  the 
“ American  bottom  ; ” it  is  considered  the  most  productive 
land  in  the  United  States.  The  vegetable  mould  must 
be  from  fifty  to  sixty  feet  deep ; but  it  is  low,  and  in 
consequence  wet,  and  therefore  unhealthy. 

During  my  progress  through  Illinois  I heard  con- 
stant complaints  of  ague,  particularly  from  the  Ger- 
mans ; it  is  very  prevalent  all  the  summer,  and  even  in 
winter  they  are  not  always  free  from  it.  The  pale 
countenances  of  all,  especially  of  the  children,  bore  too 
strong  evidence  that  the  complaint  was  well  founded. 

At  length,  after  sunset,  I arrived  on  the  eastern  bank  of 
the  Mississippi,  and  heard  to  my  great  vexation  that  the 
river  was  so  full  of  ice,  that  it  was  utterly  impossible  to 
get  across.  At  any  rate  it  was  not  to  be  "thought  of 
for  this  evening,  so  that  I was  obliged  to  pass  another 
night  in  Illinois.  Very  tired  with  my  long  journey,  I 
went  early  to  bed.  I was  awakened  in  the  night  by  a 
fresh  arrival,  who  threw  himself  right  upon  me.  I 
moved  a little  to  one  side,  while  he  took  up  the  middle 
of  the  bed ; I should  have  had  room  enough  if  the 
stranger  had  not  been  very  restless.  Now  as  I did  not 
like  the  idea  of  being  disturbed  all  the  rest  of  the  night, 
it  was  necessary  to  obtain  peace  in  some  way  or  other ; 
7 * 


78 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


so,  drawing  myself  up  like  a hedgehog,  and  planting 
my  shoulder  against  his  side,  and  my  feet  against  the 
wall,  before  he  could  imagine  what  I was  about,  I sent 
him  with  a sudden  jerk  into  the  middle  of  the  room, 
and  then  coolly  told  him  the  conditions  on  which  I 
would  let  him  come  into  bed  again.  As  the  night  was 
too  cold  to  admit  of  his  sleeping  on  the  floor,  he  agreed 
to  all  I required,  and  remained  quiet  for  the  rest  of  the 
night. 

I was  up  early  the  next  morning,  and  heard  that  a 
boat  was  about  to  try  the  passage.  We  started  at  nine 
o’clock,  and  were  six  in  the  boat  — two  at  each  oar,  one 
in  the  bows  to  shove  away  the  ice,  and  one  half  dead 
from  fear.  With  indescribable  trouble  we  succeeded 
in  reaching  the  middle  of  the  stream,  where  the  ice  had 
become  fixed  round  a small  island.  If  we  had  attempted 
to  row  round  it  we  should  have  been  carried  down  too 
far  below  the  town,  so  we  had  to  get  out,  and  drag  the 
boat  over  the  rough  blocks  of  ice,  and  launch  her  again 
on  the  other  side  ; often  we  were  jammed  between  im- 
mense masses,  so  that  I thought  every  moment  the 
boat  must  be  crushed.  About  noon  we  gained  the 
opposite  shore,  and  landed  immediately  below  St.  Louis. 
The  difference  of  time  between  Germany  and  St.  Louis 
is  about  seven  hours,  so  that  while  families  at  home 
were  enjoying  their  Christmas  festivities  around  the 
brilliantly  lighted  trees,  I was  toiling  with  difficulty 
through  the  waves  and  large  masses  of  floating  ice  of 
the  Mississippi.  The  church  bells  were  ringing,  as,  on 
a bright  clear  day,  I entered  this  city  of  a foreign  land. 
I expected  to  find  letters  and  money  from  New  York, 
but  to  my  no  small  astonishment  I was  disappointed. 


I SET  OFF  FOR  NEW  ORLEANS. 


79 


There  was  now  no  chance  of  any  until  I arrived  at 
New  Orleans;  the  question  was,  how  was  I to  get 
there  ? I had  not  money  enough  to  pay  my  passage  by 
a steamer,  and  none  of  them  would  take  me  as  one  of 
the  crew ; so  I resolved  to  trust  to  my  legs  again.  The 
sale  of  some  game  had  brought  a few  dollars,  with 
which  I paid  my  expenses  here,  and  on  the  31st 
December  I set  off  again  alone,  with  not  very  cheering 
prospects  for  the  commencement  of  the  new  year.  At 
night  I lighted  a fire,  and  laid  myself  under  a tree,  for 
I was  not  in  a humor  to  seek  society;  it  was  past 
midnight  before  I fell  asleep.  Next  morning’s  sun 
brought  fresh  courage  and  fresh  confidence.  In  going 
southwards  from  St.  Louis,  the  traveller  has  no  little 
trouble  to  find  the  right  direction  among  the  cross 
roads  that  traverse  the  country,  and  I made  so  many 
mistakes  that  it  took  nearly  five  days  to  go  fifty  miles, 
yet  without  having  to  pass  another  night  in  the  forest, 
as  I found  a farm-house  every  evening,  whose  owners 
gave  me  an  hospitable  reception. 

A great  many  Germans  inhabit  this  part  of  the 
country,  particularly  Suabians,  living  by  agriculture, 
and,  when  not  too  far  from  the  town,  by  carrying  and 
selling  wood,  as  there  is  none  in  the  immediate  neigh- 
borhood of  St.  Louis,  except  some  small  stunted  oaks. 

My  funds  by  this  time  had  shrunk  down  to  a single 
American  dollar,  whose  superscription,  “ E pluribus 
unum,”  appeared  a bitter  sarcasm  on  my  present  cir- 
cumstances. The  third  day  of  my  wanderings  in 
Missouri  broke  dull  and  moist  through  the  mist ; it 
began  to  rain,  and  the  roads  became  slippery.  About 
noon  I arrived  at  another  cross  road,  and  was  deliberat- 


80 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


ing  which  to  take,  when  I heard  a cock  crow  not  very 
far  off.  The  sound  was  music  to  my  ears  at  such  a 
moment.  I took  the  path  leading  towards  it,  and  soon 
came  to  the  fence  of  a little  corn-field ; upon  the  fence 
sat  a curious  figure,  swinging  himself  to  and  fro,  and 
singing  in  a low  melodious  voice  some  song  unknown 
to  me.  As  he  heard  my  steps  he  sprang  from  the 
fence,  and  a poor  pale  sickly  lad  stood  before  me.  He 
offered  me  his  right  hand  with  a smile,  and  with  his 
left  pushed  away  the  long  lank  wet  hair  from  his  eyes  ; 
he  led  me  quietly  to  the  door  and  disappeared.  His 
father,  an  old  farmer,  told  me  that  I should  find 
some  German  settlements  about  eight  or  nine  miles 
further  on,  and  though  it  was  still  raining,  I resolved 
on  continuing  my  journey,  and  reached  the  block-houses 
of  my  countrymen  before  dark. 

The  weather  continuing  bad,  and  I having  but  little 
money,  I resolved  to  accept  work  if  I could  find  it. 
Three  brothers  living  here,  who  seemed  good  sort  of 
people,  were  ready  to  employ  me.  We  were  to  agree 
about  the  wages  after  a week’s  trial.  The  next  day 
saw  me  sally  forth  early  in  the  morning,  armed  with  a 
heavy  hoe,  to  the  unaccustomed  work  of  rooting  up 
bushes.  It  made  the  muscles  and  sinews  of  my  arms 
ache  and  swell,  so  it  happened  very  opportunely  for 
me  that  the  following  day  was  the  festival  of  the  Three 
Kings,  and  as  the  honest  Germans  do  no  work  on  that 
day,  I was  very  much  obliged  to  the  Three  Kings  for 
their  appearance.  But  though  they  would  not  work 
for  themselves,  we  all  went,  according  to  the  custom 
here,  to  help  build  a house  for  a neighbor,  who  had 
lately  settled,  and  for  which  the  logs  were  already  cut 
and  collected. 


LEAD  MINES  IN  MISSOURI. 


81 


The  week  passed  by  without  further  incident.  I 
worked  very  hard,  and  it  seemed  all  the  harder  as  it 
was  the  first  time  that  I had  to  work  incessantly.  As 
the  brothers  offered  me  no  more  than  eight  dollars  a 
month,  I thought  that  I should  find  better  pay  in  Lit- 
tle Rock,  so  took  the  two  dollars  that  I had  earned,  bade 
them  all  a hearty  farewell,  and  went  on  my  way  in 
good  spirits. 

Next  morning  I came  to  the  most  important  lead 
mines  of  Missouri,  not  far  from  Farmington,  a pretty 
little  town.  The  lead  was  laid  in  great  heaps  on  both 
sides  of  the  road,  and  as  it  looked  very  like  silver,  it 
was  capable  of  making  a strong  impression  on  any  one 
who  possessed  a slightly  excitable  imagination.  As  my 
bullets  were  getting  scarce,  I took  a couple  of  pounds 
from  one  of  the  heaps,  in  order  to  cast  a few  in  the 
next  house  that  I stopped  at.  All  these  mines  are 
private  property,  and  the  workmen  carry  on  their 
excavations  when  they  please,  wherever  they  expect 
to  find  ore,  and  are  paid  according  to  the  quantity 
they  procure ; if  they  find  none,  they  receive  nothing, 
and  many  poor  fellows  have  worked  for  weeks  in  vain. 
Their  labors  are  carried  on  in  the  simplest  manner. 
A workman,  or  generally  two  together,  come  and  offer 
themselves;  a certain  space  is  given,  and  while  one 
digs,  the  other  clears  out  the  shaft ; sometimes  they 
find  a vein  of  pure  lead,  in  which  case  they  are  very 
well  paid.  The  whole  place  is  so  full  of  holes,  that  it  is 
very  dangerous  to  go  about  at  night.  The  proprietors 
have  erected  smelting  furnaces  on  the  ground  between 
the  shafts,  where  the  ore  is  cast  into  pigs,  and  then  it  is 
forwarded  to  the  Mississippi. 


82 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


I passed  the  following  night  in  the  house  of  an 
American  family.  The  owner  had  a herd  of  remark- 
ably fine  cattle,  as  well  as  a fine  breed  of  horses.  Soon 
after  I was  seated  in  the  warm  chimney  comer,  I 
heard  the  gallop  of  a horse.  It  stopped  at  the  house, 
the  door  opened,  and  in  stepped  a very  pretty  girl, 
with  her  little  riding-whip  in  her  hand,  and  her  color 
heightened  by  the  sharp  ride ; she  was  received  by  all 
with  a warm  welcome,  and  seemed  to  be  the  betrothed 
of  one  of  the  young  men,  near  whom  she  sat,  and  be- 
gan to  joke. 

Passing  through  Frederickstown,  I reached  Currant 
river,  the  boundary  of  Missouri,  on  the  22nd  of  Janu- 
ary ; the  water  was  so  clear,  that  although  it  was  about 
fifteen  feet  deep  where  I passed,  the  smallest  objects 
could  be  distinctly  seen  at  the  bottom. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


ARKANSAS,  AND  “DOWN  RIVER  ” TO  NEW  ORLEANS. 

Wild  turkeys  — Spring  river  — Traces  of  earlier  inhabitants  of  North 
America — An  eagle  — Quack-doctors  in  Arkansas  — My  unsuc- 
cessful hunting-dog — Little  Red  river — German  and  Polish 
settlers  — Hilger  and  Turoski  — Encampment  of  Indians  — Their 
love  for  ardent  spirits  — Little  Rock  — Engagement  as  stoker  on 
board  the  “ Fox  ” — Unhealthiness  of  the  stoker’s  avocations  — 
Quarrel  with  the  captain,  and  conclusion  of  the  engagement  — 
Night  in  the  woods  — A panther  — Bear  hunt  — Great  Red  river  — 
Slave  plantations  — Cruelty  of  the  overseers  towards  the  negroes 
— Large  herd  of  deer  — Capture  of  a panther  — Dangerous  en- 
counter with  a bear — Excursion  with  an  Indian  tribe — Their 
mode  of  life  — Canoe  travelling  — The  Mississippi  — New  Or- 
leans — Its  appearance,  and  unhealthy  situation. 

I was  now  in  Arkansas.  Game  seemed  to  abound. 
Flocks  of  wild  turkeys  filled  the  forests  as  thick  as 
partridges  in  Germany,  and  deer  were  equally  plenti- 
ful; in  one  day  I saw  several  herds  of  ten  or  twelve 
head  each.  On  the  23  rd  I came  to  Spring  river,  so 
named  from  the  crystalline  clearness  of  its  waters.  I 
had  intended  to  continue  my  journey  on  the  following 
morning,  but  my  talkative  hostess,  among  other 
things,  spoke  of  her  husband,  an  old  Pennsylvanian, 
who  understood  German,  and  who  could  give  a great 
deal  of  information  about  Indian  burial-places.  The 
chance  of  hearing  any  thing  about  the  natives  was  a 
strong  magnet  to  my  curiosity,  so  I decided  to  await 

(83) 


84 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


his  arrival,  and,  as  I did  not  wish  to  diminish  un- 
necessarily my  small  stock  of  money,  I assisted  to 
gather  in  the  Indian  corn,  so  as  to  earn  my  food.  As 
my  host  arrived  in  the  evening,  I had  not  long  to 
wait.  He  informed  me  that  there  were  a number  of 
sepulchral  monuments  on  the  banks  of  the  Spring 
river,  or  in  its  neighborhood,  and  spoke  of  gigantic 
bones  and  skeletons  which  had  been  found  there. 
When  in  Illinois,  I had  heard  of  such  remains  of  a 
colossal  race  of  men,  and  among  others  of  a human 
lower  jaw,  whose  owner  must  have  been  about  nine 
feet  high.  He  also  said  that  he  had  found  urns  and 
weapons  in  the  graves ; but  he  had  none  to  show  me, 
for  these  people  have  no  regard  for  any  thing  that  does 
not  offer  some  immediate  prospect  of  gain. 

On  the  banks  of  the  neighboring  White  river,  they 
had  found  bricks  some  feet  under  the  surface  in  several 
places,  laid  as  if  they  had  formed  a street  or  road,  and 
my  host,  as  well  as  several  others,  maintained  that 
there  must  have  been  a town  there. 

There  is  a strong  probability  that,  before  the  modern 
race  of  Indians,  a stronger  and  more  civilized  people 
must  have  inhabited  North  America,  as  several  ancient 
and  magnificent  buildings  in  Mexico  also  tend  to 
prove.  If  my  host  had  had  time  to  show  me  any  of  the 
mounds,  I would  have  devoted  a day  or  two  to  their 
examination,  but  he  was  obliged  to  take  another 
journey  on  the  following  day,  and  I could  not  well 
await  his  return.  Perhaps  some  one  else  may  find 
time  to  make  excavations. 

On  the  following  morning  I set  off  again  on  my 
travels,  and  turned  a little  out  of  my  way  to  climb  a 


THE  EAGLE AN  OLD  SETTLER. 


85 


rocky  height,  when  an  eagle  suddenly  rose  before  me. 
I fired.  For  a minute  or  two  he  floated  motionless  in 
the  air,  thenr^  flapping  his  wings,  he  mounted  higher 
and  higher  till  I could  hardly  distinguish  him.  I con- 
cluded that  I must  have  missed  him,  and  was  re- 
loading, when  he  turned  in  the  air,  and  fell  dead  to  the 
ground.  He  was  a large  bird,  measuring  seven  feet 
from  wing  to  wing.  I was  pleased  with  my  shot,  as  it 
was  the  first  eagle  I had  killed.  He  was  of  a dark- 
brown  color,  with  white  head  and  tail.  In  imitation 
of  the  Indians,  I ornamented  my  cap  with  one  of  his 
feathers. 

On  the  evening  of  the  27th  of  January,  as  I was 
occupied  in  breaking  up  a deer  that  I had  shot,  a lad 
of  about  thirteen  or  fourteen,  with  a fowling-piece  on 
his  shoulder,  came  to  help  me,  and  showed  that  he 
was  by  no  means  an  unskilled  hand.  We  packed  the 
two  legs  and  the  back  in  the  skin,  and  bore  it  between 
us  to  the  abode  of  the  youth,  only  a few  miles  distant, 
where  I decided  on  passing  the  night.  I have  met,  in 
all  parts  of  America,  with  a number  of  very  worthy, 
amiable  people,  as  also  with  some  very  bad  characters : 
this  is  to  be  expected  in  a country  with  such  a mingled 
population ; but  here,  in  this  solitude,  I found  a 
family  not  to  be  surpassed  in  worth  and  amiable  quali- 
ties in  any  part  of  the  world.  An  old  man,  with 
trembling  hands,  sat  by  the  fire,  and  though  many 
winters  had  bleached  his  locks,  his  rosy  cheeks  showed 
that  he  was  still  strong  and  hearty.  Opposite  sat  a 
noble-looking  matron,  considerably  younger  than  her 
husband,  but  still  of  great  age.  By  her  side  was  a 
young  and  pretty  woman  of  the  neighborhood,  whose 


86 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


husband  had  taken  a journey  to  the  north  on  business. 
Three  stout,  blooming  youths  came  in  one  after  the 
other  from  shooting,  bringing  four  wild  turkeys. 

I was  already  far  enough  advanced  in  English  to  be 
able  to  take  part  in  the  conversation,  the  educated 
American  being  very  indulgent  to  foreigners  in  this 
respect.  We  sat  talking  together  till  about  ten 
o’clock.  The  young  wife  had  just  received  a letter 
from  her  husband,  which  she  read  through  and 
through  ten  times  over.  She  had  been  very  unfor- 
tunate in  Arkansas.  The  doctors  had  killed  three  of 
her  children,  and  she  herself  was  suffering  from  in- 
flamed eyes  through  their  ignorance.  The  fact  is,  that 
there  is  no  sufficient  authority  to  control  their  practice 
in  these  new  States,  and  every  quack  who  chooses  may 
call  himself  doctor.  They  prescribe  calomel  for  every 
disorder,  and  decayed  teeth,  inflamed  eyes,  spongy 
gumsv  and  shattered  health  are  the  universal  conse- 
quences. 

My  next  night  was  passed  at  a Kentucky-man’s,  who 
had  settled  here.  He  had  about  a dozen  dogs  in  his 
house,  and  he  willingly  made  one  over  to  me,  which, 
according  to  his  account,  was  a capital  dog  for  hunting 
wild  turkeys,  running  them  to  a tree,  so  that  they 
could  be  more  easily  shot. 

Lounging  along  the  road,  I saw,  at  a good  distance 
in  front  of  me,  a buck  quietly  feeding  right  in  the  path, 
and,  rather  distrusting  the  good  education  of  my  dog, 
I fastened  him  to  a tree  with  my  pocket-handkerchief 
and  the  string  of  my  powder-horn.  The  buck  con- 
tinued feeding  unsuspiciously,  till  I came  within  about 
eighty-five  paces  from  him,  when,  as  I had  the  wind  at 


MT  UNSUCCESSFUL  HUNTING  DOG. 


8 < 


my  back,  he  scented  my  approach,  and  bounded  over  a 
fallen  tree  to  gain  the  thicket ; my  buck  shot  flew  after 
him,  but  I must  have  fired  low,  for  at  about  150  paces 
he  began  to  limp  with  his  hind  leg.  By  this  time  my 
dog  must  have  thought  that  he  had  played  the  mere 
spectator  long  enough,  and  having  bitten  through  the 
powder-horn  string,  he  bounded  after  the  deer  with  my 
handkerchief  about  his  neck,  and  neither  deer,  dog,  nor 
handkerchief  have  I ever  seen  since. 

About  sunset  I arrived  at  a house  where  I purposed 
to  pass  the  night,  and  had  placed  my  hand  on  the  fence 
to  jump  over,  when  I saw  the  mistress  of  the  house 
sitting  before  the  door,  occupied  with  her  children’s 
heads  in  a way  that  suppressed  all  inclination  to  speak 
on  my  part.  I turned  away,  resolving  rather  to  pass 
the  night  in  the  forest  than  with  such  a family ; yet 
this  alternative  was  unnecessary,  for  before  dark  I 
reached  the  dwelling  of  a man  who  had  fought  under 
"Washington  in  the  war  of  independence;  of  course  he 
was  very  old,  but  he  moved  about  with  considerable 
vigor. 

On  the  following  evening  I came  to  the  Little  Bed 
river.  It  was  growing  dark,  but  a man  was  still  at 
work  on  the  other  side.  I called  to  him,  asking  where 
I could  pass.  He  answered : “ You  see  that  house 

there  ? ” By  his  accent  I knew  that  he  was  a German, 
and  asked  again,  in  good  Saxon  : “ What  house  ? ” He 
replied  again,  in  a mixture  of  German  and  English,  and 
in  a tone  of  vexation  at  having  forgotten  his  pure 
mother  tongue : u Go  a little  way  down  the  river,  and 
you  will  find  a canoe.”  We  were  already  good  friends, 
although  divided  by  the  river.  I found  the  canoe. 


88 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


paddled  over,  and  went  to  the  nearest  house,  before 
which  a number  of  people  were  standing,  and  amongst 
them  the  owner,  Yon  G.,  formerly  an  officer  in  the 
army,  now  an  industrious  farmer,  and  zealous  sports- 
man. He  possessed  two  slaves,  and  was  well  contented 
with  his  new  condition.  He  kindly  offered  me  a bed 
in  his  house.  In  the  evening  the  German  came  in, 
whose  acquaintance  I had  made  on  the  banks  of  the 
river.  He  was  a very  worthy,  though  rather  an  eccen- 
tric man.  He  must  have  been  equally  pleased  with 
me,  for  he  insisted  that  I must  not  think  of  going  away 
so  soon,  but  must  come  and  pass  some  days  with  him  in 
order  to  see  the  country.  Having  nothing  to  hurry  me, 
1 willingly  accepted  his  kind  invitation,  and  went  on 
the  following  day  to  his  house,  where  he  made  me  quite 
at  home.  He  had  a nice  little  wife,  and  five  strong 
healthy  children. 

In  the  afternoon  it  began  to  rain.  Travelling  was 
not  to  be  thought  of ; even  had  I wished  it,  these  kind 
people  would  not  have  let  me  go.  We  chatted  away 
till  deep  in  the  night,  and  it  did  me  a world  of  good  to 
be  able  to  converse  again  to  my  heart’s  content  in  my 
mother  tongue.  My  host  was  a Rhenish  Bavarian, 
named  Hilger,  a builder  by  trade,  and  by  no  means  un- 
educated. 

On  the  next  day  we  had  a visit  from  a neighbor, 
a man  of  about  thirty-five,  with  a short  green  shooting 
jacket,  and  a German  rifle  ; but  his  accent  betrayed 
him  to  be  no  German.  Hilger  addressed  him  by  the 
name  of  Turoski.  He  was  a Polish  officer,  who  sought 
and  found  in  America  security  against  the  political 
persecutions  that  he  would  have  been  exposed  to  in 


THE  POLISH  REFUGEE’S  HABITATION. 


89 


Europe.  He  was  unmarried,  and  a little  ten-year-old 
daughter  of  Hilger’s  minded  his  house.  This  child 
was  often  alone  for  days  and  nights  together  in 
Turoski’s  log-house,  miles  away  from  other  habitations ; 
yet  she  cared  nothing  whether  it  was  the  storm  or  the 
wolves  that  howled  round  the  hut. 

After  a short  conversation,  Turoski  proposed  that  I 
should  come  and  stay  with  him.  I passed  some  very 
agreeable  days  with  these  estimable  men,  sometimes 
with  one,  sometimes  with  the  other.  To  give  my 
reader  an  idea  of  the  bachelor-life  of  an  American 
backwoodsman,  I will  describe  one  of  the  nights  that 
I passed  at  Turoski’s.  Hilger’s  daughter  had  gone 
home  to  visit  her  parents,  who  lived  three  miles  off, 
and  we  two  were  alone.  The  Pole’s  dwelling  was 
nothing  but  a simple  rough  log-house,  without  any 
window,  and  all  the  chinks  between  the  logs  were  left 
open,  probably  to  admit  fresh  air.  Two  beds,  a table, 
a couple  of  chairs,  one  of  them  with  arms,  some  iron 
saucepans,  three  plates,  two  tin  pots,  one  saucer, 
several  knives,  and  a coffee-mill,  formed  the  whole  of 
his  furniture  and  kitchen  utensils.  A smaller  building 
near  the  house  contained  the  store  of  meat  for  the 
winter.  There  was  a field  of  four  or  five  acres  close 
t$  the  house,  and  another  about  a quarter  of  a mile  off 
on  the  river.  He  had  some  good  horses,  a great  many 
pigs,  quantities  of  fowls,  and  several  milch  cows. 

Being  deeply  interested  in  our  conversation,  we 
forgot  to  prepare  any  supper,  and  it  was  not  till  the 
cold  made  itself  felt  that  we  went  to  bed.  It  may 
have  been  about  half-past  twelve,  when  Turoski  woke 
up,  and  swore  by  all  the  saints,  that  he  could  lie  no 
8* 


90  WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 

longer  in  bed  for  ravenous  hunger,  and  that  he  must 
have  something  to  eat,  even  if  it  were  a piece  of  raw 
meat.  I laughed,  and  told  him  to  draw  his  hunger^ 
belt  tighter,  but  he  jumped  up  and  gave  me  no  more 
rest.  We  made  up  the  fire,  which  was  nearly  burnt 
out,  and  then  held  a council  as  to  what  we  should 
cook.  We  had  shot  nothing,  the  bread  was  all  gone, 
and  we  had  eaten  our  last  bit  of  pork  for  dinner. 
What  was  to  be  done?  Turoski  decided  the  point. 
The  Indian  corn  of  last  harvest  was  in  a small  building 
in  a field  by  the  river ; I was  to  go  and  fetch  an  arm- 
ful, while  he  would  prepare  something  in  the  mean 
time.  The  night  was  dark  as  pitch ; I was  often 
obliged  to  feel  with  my  feet  for  the  path  like  a blind 
man,  that  I might  not  lose  myself  in  the  forest. 
When,  in  the  course  of  half  an  hour,  I returned  with 
the  maize,  Turoski  had  killed  one  of  the  fowls  that 
were  roosting  on  a low  tree,  plunged  it  in  hot  water, 
and  while  he  cleaned  it  I fried  the  corn;  then,  while 
the  fowl  was  being  grilled,  I ground  the  corn  in  the 
coffee-mill,  which  by  no  means  reduced  it  to  the  con- 
sistence of  flour.  I 'moistened  the  grist  with  water, 
added  a little  salt,  made  a cake  of  it  about  three- 
quarters  of  an  inch  thick,  and  set  it  in  a saucepan  cover 
to  bake.  So  far  so  good ; but  I wanted  a couple  of 
eggs.  There  was  a kind  of  shed  attached  to  the  house, 
in  which  leaves  of  Indian  corn,  plucked  green,  and 
then  dried,  were  kept  as  fodder,  and  here  the  hens 
came  to  lay  their  eggs.  Turoski  crept  in,  and  feeling 
about,  soon  came  to  a nest  with  five,  of  which  he 
brought  away  only  two,  having  broken  the  others  in 
his  hurry.  Coffee  was  then  made,  and  we  had  a very 


AN  UNNECESSARY  CIRCUIT INDIAN  TRIBE.  91 


good  supper,  or  rather  breakfast,  for  it  was  now  past 
two  o’clock.  But  we  were  not  yet  to  repose  in  safety ; 
the  monster  log  of  hickory,  that  we  had  laid  on  the 
hearth,  flared  up  and  set  fire  to  the  chimney : Turoski 
mounted  on  the  roof,  while  I handed  him  some  buckets 
of  water,  and  the  fire  was  soon  extinguished.  At  last 
we  got  to  sleep,  and  remained  so  till  the  sun  was  high 
in  the  heavens. 

My  unquiet  spirit  drove  me  forth  again  on  the 
morning  of  the  7th  of  February.  I took  a warm  fare- 
well of  these  kind  people,  and  went  in  a southwest 
direction  through  the  forest,  hoping  soon  to  reach  the 
high  road.  The  sun  disappeared  behind  dark  clouds, 
but  thinking  I was  sure  of  my  way,  I walked  quickly 
on.  Who  could  paint  my  astonishment  at  finding  my- 
self, after  two  hours’  walking,  in  front  of  the  very  house 
I had  started  from  ! This  was  vexatious,  but  I slipped 
off  again  into  the  forest  without  being  perceived,  took 
out  my  compass,  and  made  a straight  course. 

In  the  evening  I shot  a deer,  but  was  obliged  to 
leave  the  greater  portion  of  it,  as  it  was  too  heavy  to 
carry.  Long  after  sunset  on  the  9 th  I arrived  on  the 
Arkansas  river ; the  lights  of  Little  Rock  shone  from 
the  opposite  bank,  but  a strange  fantastic  scene  pre- 
sented itself  on  this  side  of  the  river,  on  which  I stared 
with  astonishment.  An  Indian  tribe  had  pitched  their 
tents  close  to  the  banks  of  the  river.  A number  of 
large  crackling  fires,  formed  of  whole  trunks  of  dry 
fallen  trees,  which  lay  about  in  abundance,  offering 
good  shelter  against  the  wind ; over  the  fires  were 
kettles  with  large  pieces  of  venison,  bear,  squirrels, 
raccoons,  opossums,  wild-cats,  and  whatever  else  the 


92 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


fortune  of  the  chase  had  given  them.  Here  young  men 
were  occupied  securing  the  horses  to  some  of  the  fallen 
trees,  and  supplying  them  with  fodder ; there  lay  others, 
overcome  by  the  firewater,  singing  their  national  songs 
with  a mournful  and  heavy  tongue.  I stood  for  a long 
time  watching  the  animated  scene. 

A tall  powerful  Indian,  decked  out  with  glass  beads 
and  silver  ornaments,  came  staggering  towards  me,  with 
an  empty  bottle  in  his  left  hand  and  a handsome  rifle  in 
his  right,  and,  holding  them  both  towards  me,  gave  me 
to  understand  that  he  would  give  me  the  rifle  if  I 
would  fill  his  bottle.  The  dealers  in  spirituous  liquors 
are  subject  to  a heavy  fine  if  they  sell  any  to  soldiers, 
Indians,  or  negroes.  The  poor  Indians  have  fallen  so 
low,  and  become  so  degraded  by  the  base  speculations 
of  the  pale  faces,  that  they  will  give  all  they  most 
value,  to  procure  the  body  and  soul-destroying  spirits. 
Though  I had  but  little  money  left,  only  twelve  cents, 
I declined  the  exchange ; he  turned  sorrowfully  away, 
probably  to  offer  the  advantageous  bargain  to  some  one 
else,  in  which  case  I thought  it  best  to  indulge  the 
poor  savage,  and  save  him  his  handsome  rifle ; I took 
the  bottle  out  of  his  hand,  filled  it,  and  gave  it  back  to 
him.  On  my  refusing  to  accept  his  rifle,  he  laid  hold 
of  me,  and  dragged  me  almost  forcibly  to  his  fire, 
obliged  me  to  drink  with  him,  to  smoke  out  of  his  pipe, 
and  eat  a large  slice  of  venison,  while  his  wife  and 
three  children  sat  in  the  tent  staring  with  surprise  at 
the  stranger.  He  then  stood  up,  and  in  his  harmonious 
language  related  a long  history  to  me  and  to  some 
sons  of  the  forest  who  had  assembled  round  us,  and  of 
which  I did  not  understand  a word.  At  last  as  the 


LITTLE  ROCK  IN  ARKANSAS. 


93 


noise  became  annoying,  I stole  away  quietly  to  seek  a 
berth  for  the  night. 

When  I came  again  to  the  ferry  on  the  following 
morning,  the  encampment  was  broken  up,  and  the 
Indians  had  embarked  on  board  a steamer,  which  was 
to  carry  them  further  west.  I crossed  by  the  ferry, 
and  had  now  no  longer  any  cause  to  be  anxious  about 
spending  too  much  money,  having  paid  away  my  last 
twelve  cents.  Rarely  has  a traveller  entered  a strange 
town  with  so  light  a purse.  My  situation  in  such  a 
place  was  not  at  all  enviable.  The  soles  of  my  boots 
had  disappeared,  and  then  the  feet  of  my  stockings,  so 
that  latterly  I had  gone  barefoot  on  the  frozen  ground. 
Yet  my  self-confidence  and  courage  did  not  fail  me. 
My  first  object  was  to  find  a house  where  I could  pass 
the  night,  my  second  to  get  my  boots  repaired : I found 
board  and  lodging  at  a German  wheelwright’s,  named 
Spranger,  for  three  dollars  a week,  and  although  with 
all  my  searching  I could  not  find  three  cents  in  my 
pockets,  I agreed  to  the  bargain,  giving  my  gun  in 
pawn;  then  taking  my  hunting-knife  I hastened  to  a 
shoemaker’s,  who  asked  two  and  a half  dollars  to  re-sole 
my  boots,  and  accepted  my  knife  as  a pledge,  lending 
me  a pair  of  shoes  to  wear  till  the  boots  should  be 
finished.  When  this  was  all  arranged,  I looked  about 
for  work,  and  took  many  a walk  in  vain. 

On  the  second  day,  having  nothing  else  to  do,  I 
went  with  Spranger  to  Yon  Seckendorf’s  farm  to  saw 
down  some  trees  that  S.  required  for  his  business.  In 
Little  Rock  many  had  referred  me  to  a Mr.  Fisher,  who 
was  well  known  among  the  Germans,  and  who  at  all 
events  would  give  me  work.  He  had  just  finished  a 


94 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


large  frame  house,  and  wanted  to  make  some  addition 
to  it.  I went  to  every  door  in  the  building  to  seek 
some  one  who  could  tell  me  where  to  find  him,  but  all 
was  as  quiet  as  the  grave.  I then  went  to  a smaller 
building,  and  knocked.  As  no  one  answered,  after 
knocking  three  times,  I pushed  open  the  door,  and 
entered.  In  one  corner  of  a miserable  room  I found 
an  empty  bedstead,  with  broken  legs ; carpenter’s  tools 
lay  on  the  table  and  floor,  and  a coffin  stood  in  another 
corner.  At  the  foot  of  the  bed,  on  the  bare  earth,  lay 
a man,  with  his  head  on  one  of  the  broken  legs  of  the 
bedstead;  his  right  arm  was  under  his  head,  the  left 
lay  across  his  face,  so  that  I could  only  see  the  dark 
hair ; the  hands  were  spotted  red  and  black,  I thought 
from  the  paint  of  the  coffin.  I asked  him  if  he  knew 
where  Mr.  Fisher  was.  He  gave  no  answer : I sup- 
posed him  to  be  asleep,  and  he  appeared  to  be  ill.  I 
went  out  again  quite  quietly,  and  tried  some  other 
doors ; but  they  were  all  locked,  and  not  a soul  to  be 
seen.  I went  back  again  to  the  sleeper,  and  although 
I called  loudly,  and  shook  him  by  the  shoulder,  I 
could  get  no  answer,  and  came  away  much  vexed.  At 
length,  after  a great  deal  of  trouble,  I found  Mr. 
Fisher,  and  had  my  trouble  for  my  pains,  for  he  had 
no  work  to  give  me.  In  the  course  of  conversation,  I 
inquired  about  the  man  in  the  hut,  and  was  told  that 
he  had  died  the  day  before  of  smallpox:  my  blood 
ran  cold  at  the  words.  The  doctor  had  stated  the 
nature  of  his  disease,  and  desired  that  nobody  should 
go  near  him  ; and  as  the  man  was  poor,  without  a cent 
in  the  world,  he  had  shut  the  door,  and  never  been 
near  him  again.  The  poor  fellow  had  been  left  to 


MY  ENGAGEMENT  ON  BOARD  THE  “ FOX.”  95 


himself  for  three  days,  without  even  a drink  of  water, 
and  at  last  had  died  miserably  on  the  floor.  Little 
Rock  is  a vile,  detestable  place  in  this  respect,  and  the 
boatmen  on  the  Mississippi  have  good  reason  when 
they  sing  — 

“ Little  Rock  in  Arkansaw, 

The  d dest  place  I ever  saw.” 

Yet  several  Germans  inhabit  the  town  and  neighbor- 
hood. 

As  nothing  in  the  way  of  work  was  to  be  found  in 
the  town,  I went  to  the  river  to  try  and  get  some- 
thing to  do  on  board  a steamer.  The  steamers  u Fox” 
and  “ Harp  ” were  moored  side  by  side.  I went  first 
on  board  the  “ Fox,”  and  was  engaged  as  fireman,  at 
thirty  dollars  a month.  In  an  hour  the  boat  started. 
I was  quite  contented,  and  had  no  trouble  with  my 
luggage.  We  ran  down  the  Arkansas  to  its  mouth, 
then  up  the  Mississippi  to  Memphis,  and  back  again  to 
Little  Rock.  The  work  of  a fireman  is  as  hard  as  any 
in  the  world ; though  he  has  only  four  hours  in  the 
day  and  four  in  the  night  to  keep  up  the  fires, 
yet  the  heat  of  the  boilers,  the  exposure  to  the  cutting 
cold  night  air  when  in  deep  perspiration,  the  quantity 
of  brandy  he  drinks  to  prevent  falling  sick,  the  icy 
cold  water  poured  into  the  burning  throat,  must,  sooner 
or  later,  destroy  the  soundest  and  strongest  constitution. 
How  I,  unaccustomed  to  such  work,  managed  to  stand 
it,  has  often  surprised  me. 

In  addition,  there  was  the  dangerous  work  of  carry- 
ing wood,  particularly  in  dark  and  wet  nights.  One 
has  to  carry  logs  of  four  or  five  feet  in  length,  six  or 
seven  at  a time,  down  a steep,  slippery  bank,  sometimes 


9G  WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 

fifteen  or  twenty  feet  in  height  when  the  water  is  low, 
and  then  to  cross  a narrow,  tottering  plank,  frequently 
covered  with  ice,  when  a single  false  step  Would  precip- 
itate the  unfortunate  fireman  into  the  rapid  deep 
stream,  an  accident  which  indeed  happened  to  me 
another  time  in  the  Mississippi.  It  is  altogether  a 
miserable  life,  offering,  moreover,  a prospect  of  being 
blown  up,  no  uncommon  misfortune,  thanks  to  the 
rashness  of  the  American  engineers. 

I carried  on  this  work  for  some  time,  till  the  deser- 
tion of  the  cook  at  Memphis  caused  a vacancy  in  that 
department.  Just  as  the  boat  was  about  to  start,  I 
offered  myself  for  the  place,  and  was  accepted,  although 
I knew  nothing  more  than  how  to  boil  a kettle : yet  I 
very  soon  learned  as  much  as  was  necessary. 

When  I returned  to  Little  Rock  I released  my  gun 
and  hunting-knife.  The  next  voyage  was  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Arkansas  and  back.  The  rude  coai’se  life  among 
the  lowest  class  of  people  soon  disgusted  me,  and,  in 
addition  to  this,  I had  incurred  the  enmity  of  the 
captain,  who  disliked  me,  probably  only  because  I was 
a German.  Yet  he  could  not  do  without  me ; but  as 
I could  not  find  a substitute,  I was  obliged  to  make 
another  voyage,  and  this  time  up  the  river.  I already 
had  an  idea  how  my  service  would  terminate,  and 
having  my  game-bag  packed,  and  my  gun,  hunting- 
knife,  and  a tomahawk  that  I had  purchased,  all  at 
hand,  I was  prepared  for  any  thing  that  might 
happen. 

Two  days  after  our  departure,  the  captain  came 
down  to  me  as  I was  in  the  act  of  giving  the  remains 
of  a meal  to  a poor  old  woman,  who  was  on  her  way  to 


QUARREL  WITH  THE  CAPTAIN. 


97 


join  her  children,  but  who  had  not  wherewithal  to  pay 
her  passage.  An  old  Pennsylvanian  had  informed  me 
that  the  captain  had  been  abusing  me.  This,  and  the 
question,  “ Who  gave  me  permission  to  give  away  the 
provisions  ? ” put  me  in  a rage,  and  I asked  him,  rudely, 
in  return,  “ If  he  would  rather  that  I should  throw 
them  overboard  ? ” The  u yes  ” was  hardly  out  of  his 
mouth,  when  plate  and  food  were  floating  in  the 
Arkansas.  He  gave  vent  to  his  rage  by  springing  on 
me,  and  seizing  me  by  the  breast ; in  return  I sent  him 
sprawling  against  the  opposite  side.  He  was  quickly 
up  again,  and  snatching  up  a piece  of  broken  hand- 
spike, made  a desperate  blow  at  me,  which  I luckily 
avoided.  My  fury  now  knew  no  bounds ; I grasped 
his  throat,  and  was  dragging  him  to  the  side  to  throw 
him  overboard,  when  his  cries  brought  the  engineer 
and  boatswain  to  the  rescue.  One  of  them  pulled  the 
captain  away  by  his  legs,  while  the  other  took  me  by 
the  shoulders,  and  then  both  carried  the  captain,  whose 
head  was  bleeding  severely,  into  the  cabin.  I was 
ordered  to  go  directly  to  the  book-keeper,  received  my 
pay,  the  steamer  stopped,  I was  landed  on  the  bank, 
the  boat  returned  on  board,  and  I found  myself  in  quite 
a new  and  extraordinary  position. 

All  around  me  was  a solitary  wilderness  — the  river 
behind  me,  the  ground  frozen  hard,  and  covered  with 
a thin  sheet  of  snow  — a cold  north  wind  blowing 
through  the  leafless  branches.  I felt  in  my  pocket 
for  my  fire  apparatus  — it  was  all  wet ; not  a single 
grain  of  powder  in  my  powder-horn,  and  only  one 
barrel  loaded.  I thought  it  would  never  do  to  dis- 
charge my  gun  for  the  sake  of  lighting  a fire,  and  remain 
9 


98 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


unarmed  in  the  wilderness.  I cleared  away  the  snow 
from  under  a tree,  lay  down,  and  tried  to  sleep ; but 
the  wind  was  too  sharp,  the  cold  insupportable,  and  I 
was  afraid  of  being  frozen.  Driven  to  extremity,  I 
discharged  my  gun  against  the  root  of  a tree,  lighted  a 
match  by  the  burning  wadding,  collected  dry  grass 
and  wood,  and  in  a minute  or  two  had  a glorious 
fire. 

Although  I heard  the  howls  of  several  wolves,  I did 
not  mind  them,  but  enjoyed  a sound  sleep.  Cer- 
tainly, on  the  following  morning,  I trudged  on  rather 
out  of  spirits,  with  no  powder,  and  a very  hungry 
stomach. 

I followed  the  direction  of  the  river  downwards,  in 
hopes  of  finding  a house.  After  I had  gone  some  dis- 
tance, I saw  an  old,  half-sunken  canoe.  I baled  out 
the  water  with  my  cap  and  found  that  she  was  still 
serviceable.  My  former  intentions  of  visiting  Texas 
returned  in  full  force  ; I decided  on  crossing  to  the 
other  side  to  look  for  a house,  and  procure  food  and 
powder,  and  resolved  then  to  strike  off  in  a south-west 
direction  in  search  of  the  route  to  Texas. 

I had  hardly  gained  the  opposite  bank  when  I dis- 
covered a large  flock  of  wild  turkeys.  I took  aim,  and 
pulled  the  trigger,  forgetting  that  I had  not  loaded: 
they  took  to  the  trees  on  my  approach,  and  I suffered 
the  tortures  of  Tantalus  at  the  sight;  but  there  was 
no  help  for  it,  and  I was  obliged  to  pass  on.  As  it 
always  happens  in  such  cases,  I saw  quantities  of  game 
this  day. 

Cold  and  cloudy  descended  the  night,  bringing  with 
it  the  dreaded  north  wind ; I was  obliged  to  lie  down 


AN  UNCOMFORTABLE  NIGHT, 


99 


without  a fire.  In  order  to  avoid  the  bears  and  pan- 
thers, I had  climbed  up  a tree,  but  the  wind  was  too 
sharp  to  make  such  an  airy  perch  endurable.  At 
length  I found  a hollow  tree,  crept  in,  covered  my  feet 
with  my  game-bag,  placed  my  gun  on  my  left  side,  and, 
with  my  knife  in  my  right  hand,  I passed  one  of  the 
most  uncomfortable  nights  of  my  life.  I heard  the 
howling  of  the  wolves,  and  once  the  roar  of  a panther 
in  the  distance;  but  nothing  came  to  disturb  me,  and 
the  bright  morning  sun  saw  me  early  on  the  march, 
for  my  couch  was  not  inviting  enough  to  detain  me. 
At  length,  what  music  to  my  ears  ! the  crow  of  a cock 
and  bark  of  a dog  announced  the  neighborhood  of  a 
farm.  I soon  perceived  the  thin,  blue  smoke  of  a 
chimney  ascending  into  the  beautiful  clear  sky,  and, 
with  a quickened  pace  made  towards  it,  hoping  soon 
to  refresh  both  body  and  soul. 

The  good  people  gave  me  such  a hospitable  reception, 
and  placed  so  much  on  the  table,  that,  notwithstanding 
my  fearful  appetite,  there  was  a great  deal  more  than 
I could  eat.  Fortunately,  the  farmer  had  a stock  of 
gunpowder,  and  filled  my  powder-horn  for  a quarter  of 
a dollar. 

As  I was  about  to  depart,  he  asked  if  I would  not 
like  to  join  a shooting  party;  several  of  his  neighbors 
were  coming  this  morning  to  search  a thicket  not  far 
from  his  house,  where  they  expected  to  find  a bear 
which  had  robbed  him  of  many  of  his  pigs.  I did  not 
long  hesitate,  cleaned  my  gun,  loaded  the  left  hand 
barrel  with  ball  and  the  right  with  buck-shot,  and  so 
was  ready  for  any  thing.  We  had  not  long  to  wait, 
and  all  mounted  on  horseback.  We  soon  arrived  at 


100 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


the  spot,  and  rode  round  and  round  it ; it  was  the 
thickly  overgrown  bed  of  a former  spring.  Suddenly 
the  dogs  gave  tongue,  and  immediately  afterwards  the 
bear  started  out  of  his  hiding-place.  Eager  as  we 
were  we  could  only  follow  him  slowly,  on  account  of 
the  thick  underwood ; so  we  hobbled  the  horses’  fore- 
legs, and  pressed  forward  on  foot. 

One  of  the  party  soon  proclaimed  that,  judging  by 
the  bark  of  the  dogs,  the  bear  must  have  climbed  up  a 
tree.  Such  proved  to  be  the  case,  and  we  had  hardly 
discovered  him,  when  I and  one  of  the  farmers  fired : 
both  balls  had  taken  effect,  but  a dull  cry  was  the  only 
consequence : two  others  of  the  party  coming  up,  fired. 
He  was  mortally  wounded,  drew  himself  together,  and 
hung  by  one  paw  from  the  tree ; as  I hit  him  on  the 
paw  with  my  buck-shot,  he  fell,  and  died  under  the 
bites  of  the  dogs,  who  threw  themselves  furiously  on 
him.  His  flesh  was  savory  and  tender,  but  he  was 
not  so  fat  as  was  expected.  I remained  the  night  with 
these  kind  people,  and  set  off  again  on  the  following 
morning. 

Without  any  thing  further  worth  noticing,  I came, 
on  the  15th  March,  to  the  bank  of  the  Great  Red  river, 
the  boundary  between  the  United  States  and  Texas. 
A farmer  who  had  a canoe  set  me  over  the  river,  and, 
following  a well-trodden  path  on  the  other  side,  I came 
to  a large  slave  plantation.  The  overseer,  who  directed 
the  labors  of  the  negroes,  said  at  first  that  he  had  no 
room  for  me  to  sleep  in ; but  as  there  was  no  other 
house  far  and  wide  where  I could  find  shelter,  he  at 
last  agreed,  and  I found  a sumptuous  supper  and  com- 
fortable bed. 


TREATMENT  OF  SLAVES. 


101 


The  land  near  the  river  was  very  swampy,  and  over- 
grown with  thick  canes,  but  the  wood  became  more 
open  and  the  ground  dryer  as  I left  the  river.  On  the 
evening  of  the  third  day,  I again  slept  at  a plantation, 
and  this  was  the  last  night  I passed  in  a house  for  some 
time  to  come.  The  overseer  lived  in  a block-house, 
and  all  around  stood  the  smaller  huts  of  the  slaves,  one 
for  each  family.  During  the  hours  of  labor,  he  car- 
ried a heavy  whip  to  keep  the  blacks  in  order  ; yet  he 
did  not  seem  to  feel  quite  safe  amongst  these  poor,  ill- 
treated  people,  for  he  had  a pair  of  pistols  in  his  saddle 
holsters. 

An  overseer  once  assured  me  that  the  whip  was  the 
best  doctor  for  the  slaves,  and  that  when  any  one  of 
them  fell  sick,  he  was  flogged  till  he  was  well  again. 
It  might  sometimes  happen  that  a poor  negro  pretended 
to  be  sick  to  get  a day  or  two’s  rest ; but  how  often 
must  the  really  sick  slave  be  most  atrociously  treated 
by  the  inhuman  overseer  ! 

From  these  quarters  I marched  along  fresh  and  in 
good  spirits  into  the  forest,  which  already  began  to 
look  green.  The  birds  sang  so  sweetly  on  the  branches, 
that  my  heart  was  joyful  and  mournful  at  the  same 
time ; I longed  in  vain  for  a companion,  with  whom 
I CQuld  exchange  thoughts.  A shot  echoed  from  the 
plantation,  and  innumerable  wild  geese  rose  from  the 
cotton-fields  behind  me;  with  a deafening  noise  they 
formed  their  usual  triangle,  and  flew  all  in  the  same 
direction. 

Luckily  for  me,  I had  in  my  bag  a couple  of  wild 
ducks  that  I had  killed  and  roasted  the  day  before. 
The  forest  was  mortally  dull,  and  the  march  began  to 
9 * 


102 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  EAR  WEST. 


grow  rather  tedious,  for  my  rambles  in  the  north  were 
still  fresh  in  my  memory.  I passed  the  night  very 
pleasantly  by  a fire,  while  my  hunger  took  the  second 
duck  into  consideration. 

Towards  noon  I came  to  the  little  river  Sulphur- 
fork,  which  I was  obliged  to  wade  through,  after  many 
vain  attempts  to  find  a shallow  place,  the  water  coming 
up  to  my  chest.  I began  to  despair  of  getting  any 
thing  to  eat,  and,  being  thoroughly  wet,  I resolved  to 
come  soon  to  a halt,  and  dry  myself  by  a fire,  when  all 
at  once  I saw  about  fifty  deer,  within  shot,  all  quietly 
feeding,  and  taking  no  notice  of  me.  For  an  instant  I 
stood  petrified ; then  every  fibre  in  my  body  beat  and 
trembled  with  delight.  The  suddenness  of  the  sight 
had  so  excited  me  that  I could  not  take  aim,  and  I was 
obliged  to  wait  to  collect  myself.  It  was  a glorious 
sight,  such  a number  of  these  noble  animals  together ; 
I counted  fifty-seven,  and  derived  particular  pleasure 
from  the  antics  of  two  fawns,  which  made  the  mo.  t 
comical  bounds,  and  came  very  near  me  without  any 
suspicion.  Regret  to  kill  such  a beautiful  innocent 
creature  withheld  my  hand  for  some  time,  but  hunger 
was  not  to  be  cajoled,  — I fired,  and  one  of  them  fell 
without  a cry.  The  effect  of  the  report  upon  the  herd 
was  quite  ludicrous,  — each  of  the  hitherto  unsuspicious 
animals  became  an  image  of  attention,  then  fled  with 
immense  bounds  towards  the  thicket.  As  I did  not 
move  they  stopped  again,  and  began  to  feed,  but  not 
without  frequently  raising  their  heads  to  listen.  The 
impression  which  the  fall  of  his  playfellow  had  produced 
on  the  other  fawn  was  very  different.  Far  from  flying, 
he  came  nearer,  smelt  the  poor  animal  as  if  he  thought 


A WOODLAND  SUPPER  — A PANTHER. 


103 


it  was  play,  setting  his  fore-foot  several  times  on  the 
body  of  .his  comrade  as  if  to  induce  him  to  get  up.  I had 
the  other  barrel  still  loaded,  but  thought  it  would  be 
like  murder  to  injure  a hair  of  the  little  creature. 

As  I stepped  out  from  the  bushes,  the  fawn  stared 
at  me  with  astonishment  in  his  large  clear  eyes  ; prob- 
ably he  had  never  seen  a man  before.  He  then  flew 
like  the  wind  towards  his  dam,  but  stopping  now  and 
then  as  if  he  expected  his  comrade.  I quickly  made  a 
fire  on  the  spot  to  roast  my  game,  putting  the  greater 
part  of  the  back  and  the  brisket  on  sticks  before  the 
fire  with  hollow  bark  underneath  to  catch  the  dripping 
for  basting;  and  a delicious  meal  was  very  soon  the 
result  of  this  simple  proceeding. 

Next  day,  as  I was  going  quietly  along  through  forest 
and  prairie,  looking  out  right  and  left  for  game  or 
amusement,  I caught  sight  of  something  in  a large  oak. 
Fixing  my  eyes  steadily  on  it,  and  coming  closer,  I 
recognized  the  glowing  eyes  of  a panther  crouched  on  a 
bough,  and  seemingly  ready  to  spring.  I gave  him 
both  barrels,  one  after  the  other,  when  he  fell  from  the 
tree,  and  died  with  a fearful  howl.  He  was  a large 
handsome  beast,  of  an  ashy  gray  color,  and  measuring 
from  seven  to  eight  feet  from  the  nose  to  the  end  of  the 
tail. 

It  was  well  that  I had  venison  in  my  game-bag, 
for  the  panther  would  have  been  a tough  morsel.  I 
dragged  the  rather  heavy  skin  with  me  till  the  even- 
ing, and  slept  soundly  on  it  for  my  trouble.  A damp 
fog  came  on  towards  morning,  which  soon  turned  to 
fine  penetrating  rain,  seeming  to  foretell  a disagreeable 
day ; but  as  I had  enjoyed  beautiful  weather  in  general* 


104 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


I could  not  complain.  The  sky  became  quite  dark,  the 
rain  fell  heavier,  and  I was  soon  wet  through.  I left 
the  panther  skin  where  I had  slept,  so  that  I had  no 
heavy  burden  to  carry.  I found  my  stomach  begin- 
ning to  loathe  the  quantity  of  animal  food  that  was  put 
into  it,  and  to  long  for  bread,  but  I was  obliged  to 
divert  my  thoughts  from  the  subject,  and  the  last 
remains  of  the  venison  were  discreetly  devoured. 
Meantime  I had  killed  a turkey,  so  that  at  all  events  I 
had  something  in  store. 

My  plan  hitherto  had  been  to  push  on  to  the  nearest 
eastern  settlement;  but  the  road  was  too  long  and 
tedious,  so  I turned  southwards,  in  order  afterwards 
to  proceed  eastward  towards  Louisiana  and  the  Red 
river.  The  constant  rain  made  it  impossible  to  light 
a fire  this  evening,  and  I passed  a miserable  night,  for 
though  I tried  to  make  a shelter  of  pieces  of  bark,  I 
could  not  manage  it ; however,  the  night  came  at  last 
to  an  end,  and  cold,  cross,  and  hungry  as  a lion,  I went 
along  with  only  a plucked  turkey  in  my  bag. 

About  noon  my  day’s  journey  was  brought  to  an 
unexpected  end  by  a river  that  had  overflowed  its 
banks.  The  rain  had  ceased,  so  that,  with  better  for- 
tune than  yesterday,  I succeeded  in  making  a fire,  and 
my  turkey,  divided  into  four  quarters,  was  soon  in  front 
of  it.  Now,  comfortably  stretched  before  my  fire,  I 
considered  whether  I should  cross  the  river ; I had  no 
sort  of  business  on  the  other  side,  and  it  seemed  absurd 
to  swim  across  for  nothing  — so  I settled  on  quitting 
Texas,  and  returning  to  the  United  States.  If  I had 
a friend  with  me  I could  have  gone  on  to  the  shores 
of  the  Pacific,  but  I had  no  mind  to  do  it  alone. 


BEAR  SHOOTING. 


105 


When  I had  finished  my  repast,  I got  up  and  made  my 
way  in  an  E.  S.  E.  direction. 

As  the  rain  had  left  off,  I made  up  to-night  for  the 
wakefulness  of  the  last ; when  I awoke  the  fire  had 
burnt  out,  and  the  sun  was  shining  through  the  burst- 
ing buds  of  the  trees.  I had  a good  wash  in  a 
neighboring  spring,  and  felt  like  a giant  refreshed. 

After  taking  my  frugal  breakfast,  the  remains  of 
yesterday’s  meal,  I drew  more  towards  the  east,  in 
order  the  sooner  to  fall  in  with  human  beings,  to 
eat  bread,  and  taste  salt.  I had  occasionally  used 
gunpowder  instead  of  salt,  but  my  store  of  powder  was 
not  sufficient  for  such  a luxury,  and  it  was  better  to  be 
without  salt  than  without  powder. 

Gun  on  shoulder,  I trudged  slowly  and  surely  on, 
over  hill  and  dale,  through  prairies  and  forest  streams, 
towards  the  sun-rising,  taking  sharp  notice  of  all 
around.  While  thus  proceeding,  wrapped  in  my 
thoughts,  suddenly  something  rustled  in  a bush  in  front 
of  me,  and  a bear  started  out  and  took  to  flight.  My 
ball  was  soon  in  his  interior ; on  being  hit  he  stopped 
and  looked  round  at  me  in  a fury.  Expecting  nothing 
less  than  an  attack,  I quietly  cocked  the  other  barrel ; 
but  his  intentions  of  attacking  me  seemed  to  pass  off, 
and  he  crept  into  a thicket  instead.  I quickly  loaded 
with  ball  and  followed  him : as  I approached  he  retreated 
slowly,  probably  suffering  from  his  wound : as  soon  as 
I got  a clear  view  of  his  head,  I fired  again,  but  only 
grazed  his  skull.  As  I ran  towards  him  his  fury  in- 
creased, and  he  turned  to  meet  me;  on  taking  aim 
with  my  second  barrel  at  about  thirty  paces,  it  missed 
fire.  With  open  jaws  and  ears  laid  back,  he  rushed 


106 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


towards  me ; in  this  mortal  danger,  I preserved  my 
presence  of  mind.  Dropping  my  gun,  and  drawing  my 
knife,  I sprang  back  a couple  of  paces  behind  a small 
tree  ; at  this  moment  the  bear  was  only  a few  feet  from 
me.  As  he  rose  on  bis  hind  legs  to  embrace  me,  he 
was  almost  as  tall  as  I,  and  his  fiery  eyes  and  long 
teeth  had  nothing  very  attractive ; but  he  was  not 
destined  to  know  the  taste  of  my  flesh. 

I was  quite  collected,  feeling  sure  that  one  or  the 
other  must  die.  The  moment  he  tried  to  grasp  me,  I 
thrust  my  long  double-edged  hunting  knife  into  the 
yawning  abyss  of  his  jaws,  and  boring  it  into  his  brain, 
I brought  him  to  the  ground.  I did  not  then  know 
better,  but  I ought  to  have  sprung  back  after  wound- 
ing him,  and  then  I should  have  escaped  unhurt.  As 
it  was,  he  dragged  away  my  coat  in  falling,  and  tore  my 
arm  slightly.  I thanked  God  that  it  was  no  worse. 
There  I sat  on  the  sweet  smelling  heath,  with  my  coat 
all  in  rags,  and  no  other  to  put  on.  To  assuage  my 
sorrow,  I cut  a large  steak  -from  the  bear,  which  tasted 
particularly  good  after  my  severe  exertions.  I carried 
away  the  skin.  In  the  evening  I fell  in  with  a herd 
of  deer,  but  did  not  fire  at  them,  as  I was  well  provided 
with  meat. 

On  the  following  evening  I heard  a shot.  The 
sound  ran  through  me  like  an  electric  shock.  There 
were,  then,  other  people  in  this  wilderness,  and  not 
very  far  off,  for  the  shooter  must  be  on  the  other  side 
of  the  nearest  hill.  I turned  rapidly  in  the  direction 
whence  the  sound  came,  and  had  hardly  gained  the 
crest  of  the  hill,  when  a romantic  and  variegated  scene 
sp*~°.ad  itself  before  my  eyes. 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  INDIANS. 


107 


It  was  an  Indian  camp,  and  all  were  occupied  in 
pitching  their  tents,  and  preparing  for  the  night. 
Here,  were  some  cutting  tent-poles  with  their  toma- 
hawks ; there,  women  collecting  firewood  for  cooking ; 
men  securing  the  horses  by  hobbling  their  fore-legs ; 
another  skinning  a deer.  In  short,  it  was  life  in  the 
wilds  in  highest  force.  I should  never  have  tired 
of  looking  at  these  noble  muscular  figures,  their  faces 
marked  with  various  ochres,  their  heads  adorned  with 
feathers,  and  their  bright-colored  dresses. 

I was  not  long  allowed  to  remain  a spectator,  for  the 
dogs  barked  and  ran  at  me.  Breaking  off  a green 
bough,  I went  with  it  to  the  camp.  The  Indians 
called  off  the  dogs*  and  all  eyes  were  now  directed 
towards  the  stranger.  Going  up  to  a group  of  young 
men,  who  were  stretching  a deer-skin,  I asked  if  any  of 
them  spoke  English,  and  was  directed  to  an  elderly 
man,  who  was  sitting  smoking  under  a tree  and 
watching  me.  I told  him  that  I was  a traveller,  that 
I wished  to  return  to  the  banks  of  the  Red  river,  and 
asked  if  I could  pass  the  night  in  his  camp.  A con- 
siderable group  of  young  men  had  in  the  mean  time 
assembled  round  us.  At  length  the  old  man  asked  — 
“ Are  white  men  so  scarce  that  you  come  alone  into 
the  wilderness  ? ” I replied  that  I had  only  come  for 
the  sake  of  shooting,  and  now  wished  to  return.  In- 
stead of  an  answer,  he  silently  gave  me  his  pipe,  out  of 
which  I took  a few  whiffs,  and  then  handed  it  to  one  of 
the  Indians  standing  near  me.  He  did  the  same,  and 
returned  it  to  the  chief.  I now  sat  down  beside  him. 
He  asked  a great  many  questions,  amongst  others,  how 
I had  torn  my  coat  so  badly  ? Whereupon  I related 


108 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


my  affair  with  the  bear.  He  smiled,  and  translated 
my  account  to  the  others,  who  also  showed  interest  in 
my  adventure. 

The  chief  then  told  me  that  it  was  highly  dangerous 
for  any  one  unused  to  these  encounters  to  risk  such  a 
fight,  and  that  it  was  necessary  to  spring  quickly  back 
after  the  thrust,  the  dying  bear  having  sometimes  suc- 
ceeded in  killing  his  enemy.  He  took  particular  notice 
of  my  double-barrelled  gun  and  hunting-knife,  and  said 
that  he  had  never  before  seen  two  barrels  joined  to- 
gether. He  spoke  English  better  than  I did,  and, 
what  was  very  agreeable,  he  spoke  slowly. 

The  Indians  belonged  to  the  Choctaw  tribe,  and 
were  come  out  of  Arkansas  in  search  of  game.  As 
night  came  on,  fires  were  burning  all  around  us,  and 
the  w'omen,  among  whom  were  some  beautiful  figures, 
cooked  the  suppers,  while  the  men  quietly  smoked 
their  pipes.  Finding  the  Indian  fashion  of  staring  at 
the  fire  rather  tedious,  I made  several  attempts  to  en- 
gage the  chief  in  conversation,  but  only  received  short 
answers,  so  that  at  last  there  was  nothing  left  for  it  but 
to  play  the  Indian,  and  maintain  a dignified  silence. 

At  length  we  retired  to  rest.  I slept  on  a bear-skin 
beside  the  fire,  in  front  of  the  chief’s  tent.  Before 
sunrise,  I was  awakened  by  the  noise  and  songs  of  the 
Indians,  who  were  preparing  for  a shooting  excursion. 
I jumped  up,  and  was  getting  ready  to  join  them,  but 
soon  remembered  that,  with  my  ragged  coat,  I could 
not  venture  among  the  thorns ; — I should  have  been 
caught  every  moment.  I showed  it  to  one  of  the 
young  men,  he  immediately  fan  off,  and  soon  re- 
turned with  a sort  of  coat,  or  rather  hunting-shirt, 


AN  INDIAN  SHOOTING  PARTY. 


109 


made  out  of  a blanket.  He  made  signs  that  he  would 
sell  it  to  me,  and  was  delighted  to  receive  a dollar  for 
it,  with  the  rags  of  my  green  coat  into  the  bargain. 
For  a second  dollar  I obtained  his  embroidered  belt, 
and  was  now  quite  set  up  again.  Resolving  to  be 
quite  an  Indian  for  the  time,  I left  my  game-bag  in  the 
camp. 

We  set  off,  sixteen  in  number,  all  on  foot,  some 
of  the  Indians  with  firearms,  others  with  bows  and 
arrows,  with  which  they  can  hit  their  mark  at  a great 
distance.  I attached  myself  to  one  of  the  young  men 
with  a bow  and  arrows,  and,  as  we  could  not  under- 
stand each  other’s  language,  we  proceeded  in  silence. 
Each  of  us  had  provisions,  which  we  ate  as  we  went 
along.  It  may  have  been  about  noon  when  we  saw  a 
herd  of  deer.  My  companion  went  round  to  gain  the 
wind  of  them,  and  shot  a couple  with  his  unerring 
arrows.  Away  flew  the  others  in  headlong  fright, 
coming  directly  towards  me,  in  such  blind  haste,  that 
the  leader  of  the  herd,  a fat  buck  of  eleven,  was  little 
more  than  ten  paces  off,  when  he  discovered  me.  My 
ball  pierced  his  heart,  and  he  fell  without  a cry.  The 
rest  fled  in  all  directions. 

We  were  obliged  to  return  to  the  camp  for  horses 
to  carry  our  booty.  My  companion  started  off  in  a 
straight  line  for  the  camp,  which  I should  never  have 
been  able  to  find  again.  It  was  only  a few  miles  dis- 
tant, although  I thought  it  must  be  at  2east  half  a 
day’s  journey  behind  us.  On  arriving  at  the  camp,  we 
each  mounted  on  horseback,  and  rode  off  at  a quick 
trot  to  the  place  where  our  game  lay,  which  we  found 
without  difficulty,  the  Indian  having  marked  several 
10 


110 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


trees  with  his  tomahawk  as  we  returned.  The  last 
prize  we  came  to  was  my  buck,  and  on  him  we  saw  a 
wild-cat  preparing  to  enjoy  itself.  The  Indian  rushed 
forward,  and  the  cat,  which  did  not  perceive  him  till  too 
late,  flew  up  a tree,  whence  an  arrow  from  the  sure 
hand  of  my  companion  soon  brought  it  to  the  ground. 
It  was  of  a gray  color,  and  larger  than  the  domestic 
cat.  When  these  animals  are  irritated  they  will  attack 
men  : my  comrade  carried  off  the  skin. 

We  rode  back  with  our  booty  to  the  camp,  and  were 
received  with  cheers.  The  party  all  returned  one 
after  the  other,  most  of  them  with  game,  one  with  an 
immense  bear  that  he  had  killed,  the  largest  I had  yet 
seen. 

WTile  cooking  was  going  on,  the  young  men  danced 
and  sang,  the  women  taking  no  part  in  their  amuse- 
ments, but  quietly  continuing  their  occupations. 

On  the  following  morning  the  chief  said  that  he  had 
set  a wolf-trap,  and  we  went  to  see  if  any  thing  had 
been  caught.  As  there  was  plenty  of  food  in  the 
camp,  we  all  went  together,  except  three,  who,  having 
killed  nothing  yesterday,  set  off  to  try  their  luck  again 
to-day.  We  took  four  large  strong  dogs  with  us,  and 
followed  the  chief.  With  a triumphant  smile  he 
showed  me  where  he  had  set  the  trap,  and  near  it  a 
trace  of  blood;  it  was  shown  to  the  dogs,  and  they 
followed  it  up  in  full  cry. 

After  running  about  a mile,  they  barked  louder  and 
louder.  We  hurried  on  as  fast  as  we  could,  and  found 
the  wolf  at  his  last  gasp  under  the  furious  attack  of 
the  dogs.  They  were  immediately  called  off,  and 
appeared  to  have  suffered  Considerably,  particularly 


WOLF-TRAPS. 


Ill 


one,  whose  ear  the  wolf,  a great  black  beast,  had  bitten 
quite  away. 

These  traps  are  set  with  a bait,  but  not  fastened,  for 
if  the  wolf  is  caught,  and  the  trap  should  be  immov- 
able, he  would  bite  off  his  own  leg  sooner  than  let 
himself  be  taken.  So  the  trap  is  only  fastened  by  a 
chain  to  an  iron  clog  with  four  hooks ; as  soon  as  the 
wolf  finds  himself  caught,  he  attempts  to  hurry  away 
with  the  trap,  but  is  detained  every  moment  by  the 
hooks  catching  in  the  roots  and  bushes  ; yet  he  manages 
to  get  clear  again,  and  has  been  known  to  take  the  iron 
clog  in  his  mouth  — but  the  trap  still  remains  a hin- 
derance,  and  he  is  easily  traced. 

By  this  time  I had  enjoyed  Indian  life  long  enough, 
and  wished  myself  back  again  in  more  civilized  society ; 
yet  I remained  another  day  with  them,  during  which 
we  shot  at  a mark  with  bows  and  arrows,  and  I caused 
many  a smile  among  the  Indians,  as  I shot  a foot  wide 
of  the  mark,  which  they  seldom  missed.  We  next 
threw  tomahawks  at  a tree,  and  in  this  practice  I was 
rather  more  successful. 

On  the  following  morning  I resumed  my  journey  to 
the  east,  provided  with  venison  and  coarse  salt,  and  as 
I saw  the  last  Indians  disappear  behind  the  trees,  it 
seemed  as  if  I was  now  for  the  first  time  alone  in  the 
forest ; but  I soon  became  reaccustomed  to  my  former 
life,  and  slept  again  this  night,  as  well  as  a man  can 
sleep,  on  grass  and  fragrant  moss. 

Next  day  I came  to  the  Sabine,  seeking  in  vain  for 
a ford ; and  as  the  river  was  considerably  swelled,  and 
seemed  wider  and  deeper  further  south,  there  was 
nothing  for  it  but  a swim.  I made  a small  raft,  which 


112 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


I bound  together  with  creepers,  and  securing  my  gun, 
game-bag,  knife,  tomahawk,  and  powder-horn  on  the 
top  of  it,  I pushed  it  before  me  to  the  opposite  bank. 

On  the  30th  of  January,  as  I arrived  at  the  Great 
Red  river,  I saw  a farm-house,  and  the  crow  of  a cock 
broke  on  my  ear  as  the  music  of  the  spheres.  But  the 
house  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  broad  and  swollen 
stream,  which  rolled  along  its  dirty  red  waves  at  a fear- 
ful rate.  In  vain  I shouted  and  roared  myself  hoarse ; 
a shot  had  no  better  effect.  I had  made  up  my  mind  to 
hide  my  gun  and  other  -things  in  the  bush,  and  swim 
over,  when  a second  shot  roused  the  farmer’s  attention. 
He  came  to  the  bank,  and  seeing  some  one  calling  and 
beckoning  on  the  opposite  side,  he  cast  off  his  canoe, 
and  coming  across,  was  not  a little  astonished  at  finding 
me  alone. 

I received  a hearty  welcome  from  his  family,  who 
were  exceedingly  amused  at  the  appetite  with  which  I 
made  the  bread  disappear,  and  at  my  enjoyment  of  the 
coffee. 

As  I did  not  wish  to  remain  here  long,  I soon  came 
to  an  agreement  with  the  farmer  about  the  sale  of  his 
canoe ; he  let  me  have  it  for  four  dollars,  throwing  a 
smoked  leg  of  venison,  a roast  turkey,  and  some  loaves 
of  maize  bread  into  the  bargain. 

I was  soon  afloat  in  this  hollowed  trunk,  drifting 
rapidly  down  the  stream,  which  carried  gigantic  trees 
along  with  it.  The  light  craft  dashed  forward  like  an 
arrow  under  the  strokes  of  my  paddle,  so  that,  accord- 
ing to  a reckoning  made  afterwards,  I must  have  gone 
about  400  miles  in  five  days.  It  was  not  till  late  in 
the  night  that  I ran  in  among  the  reeds,  and  slept 
quietly  in  my  own  property. 


NARROW  ESCAPE  FOR  MY  CANO  F. 


113 


On  tlie  day  after  my  departure,  I fell  in  with  a 
number  of  planks;  they  had  probably  been  washed 
away  from  some  village  on  the  banks.  They  had  floated 
against  a tree,  that  was  stuck  fast  in  the  bed  of  the 
river.  Intending  to  take  them  with  me,  in  the  hope 
of  making  something  by  their  sale,  I paddled  to  the 
tree,  and  in  attempting  to  secure  the  planks  I over- 
reached myself;  the  current  carried  away  the  canoe 
from  under  me,  and  in  an  instant  I was  in  the  water, 
holding  on  to  the  bough  of  the  tree,  and  close  to  an 
alligator.  Luckily  the  beast  was  as  much  afraid  of 
me  as  I of  him,  and  he  disappeared  under  the  water. 
I quickly  swung  myself  on  the  bough  to  reach  my 
canoe,  but  too  late,  it  was  already  in  the  full  strength 
of  the  current,  leaving  me  hanging  on  the  waving 
bough,  with  canoe,  gun,  powder,  and  all  that  I pos- 
sessed, a prey  to  the  waves.  I saw  perfectly  well  at 
once  that  I must  either  regain  my  canoe  or  perish 
miserably  of  starvation,  so  I let  go  the  bough,  and 
swam  with  all  my  might  towards  the  fugitive.  It  cost 
a quarter  of  an  hour’s  desperate  exertion  before  I 
reached  it,  and  then  I had  to  push  her  to  the  bank,  in 
order  to  get  on  board,  for  any  attempt  to  do  so  in  the 
middle  of  the  stream  would  have  upset  her.  In  regain- 
ing the  canoe  I had  saved  my  life. 

When  my  store  of  provisions  was  exhausted  I shot 
wild-fowl,  and  got  them  cooked  at  the  nearest  planta- 
tion, for  now,  as  I approached  Louisiana,  the  land  was 
more  occupied. 

Several  hundred  miles  above  its  junction  with  the 
Mississippi,  the  Great  Red  river  is  blocked  up  by 
numbers  of  trees  that  have  been  carried  down  and 
10* 


114 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  EAR  WEST. 


become  fixed,  and  although  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment has  caused  a passage  for  steamers  to  be  cut 
through  them,  yet  I was  advised  not  to  attempt  it  with 
my  canoe,  because  the  current  ran  through  it  whh 
such  force,  that  the  least  obstacle  I might  encounter 
would  infallibly  overset  the  canoe.  I was  therefore 
obliged  to  traverse  two  lakes,  called  Clear  Lake  and 
Soda  Lake,  which  are  connected  with  the  river  above 
and  below  the  Haft,  as  the  collection  of  matted  trees  is 
called. 

I saw  a great  number  of  alligators  sunning  them- 
selves on  the  warm  sands.  I shot  ten  or  eleven  of 
them,  but  could  never  prevail  on  myself  to  touch  them. 
They  were  from  three  to  twelve  feet  long,  and  some- 
times even  eighteen  feet.  Not  far  from  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  on  the  fifth  day,  just  about  dusk,  seeing 
something  white  in  the  water  ahead  of  me,  I paddled 
to  it,  and  laid  hold  of  it,  but  drew  my  hand  back 
with  a shudder,  and  the  blood  ran  cold  in  my  veins ; 
it  was  a corpse  — the  naked  white  back  alone  floated 
above  the  surface,  head,  arms,  and  legs  hanging  down ; 
a wound  several  inches  long  was  visible  on  the  left 
side,  just  under  the  ribs.  I paddled  hastily  away 
in  sickening  disgust,  and  left  the  horrid  object  behind 
me. 

On  the  following  morning  I entered  the  Mississippi, 
the  excessively  dirty  “ Father  of  Waters.”  The  scenery 
assumed  a more  tropical  character,  and  the  long 
waving  moss  hanging  from  the  gigantic  trees  gave  it 
a peculiarly  strange  aspect.  After  entering  this  mag- 
nificent river  I took  on  board  fresh  provender,  not  far 
from  the  junction,  and  directed  my  course  towards  that 


BY  STEAMER  TO  NEW  ORLEANS. 


115 


“New  Orleans,”  now  some  240  miles  distant,  about 
which  I had  heard  so  much.  But  on  the  second  day, 
when  I was  still  some  hundred  miles  from  it,  a little 
above  Baton  Rouge,  it  came  on  to  blow  fresh,  and  the 
wind  caused  such  a swell  in  the  river,  that  I could  no 
longer  keep  my  little  craft  free  of  water;  indeed  it 
was  not  without  great  effort  and  difficulty  that  I was 
able  to  reach  the  shore. 

There  was  a farm  near  the  place  where  I landed, 
whose  owner  had  a quantity  of  wrood  lor  sale,  ready 
cut,  and  piled  up  for  the  use  of  steamers.  A steamer, 
bound  for  New  Orleans,  was  in  the  act  of  wooding  at 
the  time.  It  would  have  been  folly  to  have  attempted 
to  continue  the  voyage  in  such  a swell  in  so  frail  a craft 
as  mine,  and  as  I found  the  farmer  willing  to  buy  her 
we  sooft  agreed  as  to  terms.  I transferred  my  effects 
to  the  steamer,  and  late  on  the  same  evening  arrived  at 
New  Orleans. 

For  the  night  I slept  on  board,  but  early  the  next 
morning  went  to  a German  tavern  to  refresh  myself 
after  all  the  hardships  I had  undergone,  and  to  sleep 
in  a regular  bed.  Oh,  how  comfortably  I stretched 
myself  on  the  soft  mattress  ! I got  up  very  early  to 
have  a look  at  the  place,  having  no  wish  to  show  my- 
self in  the  costume  of  a savage  when  the  streets  were 
thronged.  For  nine  months  my  hair  had  been  uncut, 
and  during  five  no  razor  had  approached  my  chin; 
then  what  with  my  old  woollen  hunting-shirt,  my  em- 
broidered belt,  and  the  high  ^waterproof  boots,  which 
had  faithfully  held  out  to  the  last,  people  would  have 
thought  me  more  like  a scarecrow  than  a human  being : 
my  first  visit  was  to  a barber. 


116 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


I had  heard  too  much  boasting  and  bragging  about 
New  Orleans,  not  to  be  disappointed  in  my  expecta- 
tions. I found  it  by  no  means  so  splendidly  or  so 
tastefully  built  as  was  asserted,  and  as  I walked  along 
the  narrow  streets  my  thoughts  wandered  to  the  far 
more  agreeable  Cincinnati.  The  only  handsome  build- 
ing in  New  Orleans,  and  one  without  a parallel,  is  the 
St.  Charles’  Hotel,  which  certainly  is  very  magnifi- 
cent. 

It  is  no  wonder  that  the  air  of  New  Orleans  should 
be  generally  so  unhealthy,  and  in  autumn  quite  pesti- 
lential, for  the  town  is  built  in  a complete  swamp,  and 
required  to  be  protected  by  a dam  from  being  sub- 
merged by  the  river.  It  certainly  was  never  intended 
by  nature  for  the  abode  of  man ; at  most  it  is  fitted  for 
alligators,  frogs,  and  mosquitoes.  It  is  the  churchyard  of 
the  United  States. 


CHAPTER  Y. 


CINCINNATI — -A  FARMER’S  LIFE  IN  THE  WOODS. 

Scenery  around  New  Orleans  — Arrangements  of  American  steamers 

— Cincinnati  and  its  reputation  — Number  of  German  inhabitants 

— Situation  of  the  town  — Religious  absurdities ; the  girl  “ pos- 
sessed with  a devil  ” — Dangers  of  American  steam  navigation  — 
The  “Mississippi”  — Rambles  in  the  woods  — Crawfish  — Mosr 
quitoes  — Picnic  in  the  woods  — Poisonous  plants  — Residence 
with  a backwoodsman,  and  farming  operations — Wild  honey  — 
Cattle  keeping — Turkeys’  eggs — A Methodist  meeting — Attack 
of  ague  — Our  farming  operations. 

I found  letters  and  money  awaiting  me  here,  which 
came  very  opportunely,  as  I had  expended  nearly  all  I 
had  gained.  I now  looked  out  for  a passage  to  Cin- 
cinnati ; the  steamer  u Chillicothe  ” was  to  start  for 
that  place  at  ten  the  next  day.  I paid  five  dollars  for 
1,500  miles.  A cheaper  voyage  is  almost  impossible. 
We  did  not  start  till  evening. 

On  ascending  the  river  from  New  Orleans,  the 
scenery  is  quite  enchanting.  There  is  a succession  of 
plantations,  with  country-houses  embosomed  in  orange 
and  pomegranate  trees,  &c.,  while  the  regular  rows  of 
negro  cottages  give  a peculiar  character  to  the  whole. 

The  Mississippi  steamers  are  light  and  sharp,  built 
to  make  their  passages  as  quick  as  possible,  and  to 
enrich  their  owners  in  five  or  six  years,  — then  they 
may  burst  or  sink.  The  boilers  are  in  the  forepart  of 

(117)  . 


118  WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 

/ 

the  vessel,  the  stokers  working  under  them  in  the 
open  air.  They  reach  nearly  to  the  centre,  some 
steamers  having  as  many  as  eight ; the  “ Chillicothe  ” had 
seven.  The  machinery,  also  on  deck,  comes  next,  and 
then  a place  for  steerage-passengers,  where  there  is  no 
want  of  fresh  air ; it  is  provided  with  three  rows  of 
bed  places.  Mounting  a flight  of  steps  you  find  the 
officers’  cabins  forward,  and  generally  a bar  for  the 
sale  of  various  drinks,  excepting  in  the  “ Temperance  ” 
boats.  The  saloon  is  in  the  centre,  having  sleeping 
cabins  with  glass  doors,  for  gentlemen,  on  each  side ; 
and  near  the  stern,  the  most  secure  place  in  case  of 
disaster,  is  the  ladies’  cabin.  Some  of  the  boats  have 
a third  story,  but  most  are  satisfied  with  the  arrange- 
ment described  above.  The  station  for  the  helmsman 
is  placed  high  up  between  the  two  chimneys,  covered 
over  and  glazed,  so  that  he  can  look  out  in  all  direc- 
tions. The  tiller  ropes  have  lately  been  made  of  wire, 
so  that  in  case  of  fire,  the  vessel  might  remain  under 
command  of  the  helm  till  the  last  moment. 

We  had  a great  numbevof  passengers,  amongst  them 
a young  woman  of  about  two  or  three  and  twenty, 
who  came  on  board  a little  below  Natchez  with  a very 
young  man.  The  young  people  seemed  to  have  been 
only  lately  married,  to  judge  by  their  hugging  and 
kissing.  When  we  arrived  at  Louisville,  in  Kentucky, 
the  steamer  had  to  discharge  cargo,  and  remained  the 
greater  part  of  the  day.  I was  standing  on  the  bow- 
sprit watching  the  proceedings,  when  an  elderly  gen- 
tleman very  well  ck  essed,  accosted  me,  and,  describing 
the  couple,  inquired  if  they  were  on  board.  I replied 
in  the  affirmative,  ai  1 accompanied  him  to  the  lower 


A RUNAWAY  COUPLE. 


119 


cabin.  The  lady  was  sitting  on  a trunk  and  reading; 
her  companion  had  gone  into  the  town.  I suspected 
that  all  was  not  right,  and  that  the  old  gentleman  had 
good  reasons  for  coming;  but  the  quiet  unconcerned 
manner  of  both  parties  soon  did  away  with  my  sus- 
picions. In  the  first  moment  indeed  her  color  seemed 
to  change  slightly,  but  she  rose  quietly,  laid  aside  her 
book,  and  offering  her  hand  to  the  gentleman,  said, 
civilly,  “ How  do  you  do,  sir  ? ” After  a short  time 
they  retired  into  a corner,  and  spoke  very  earnestly 
together.  Meantime,  I took  no  more  notice  of  them, 
but  at  bedtime  I was  not  a little  astonished  to  see  the 
old  gentleman  take  the  husband’s  place,  while  the 
young  man,  as  pale  as  death,  stood  by  the  stove  heedless 
of  its  burning  the  tails  of  his  coat.  The  lady  was  the 
wife  of  the  gentleman  who  came  on  board  at  Louisville, 
and  had  run  away  with  the  young  man.  The  husband 
had  obtained  information,  and  followed  them,  but 
would  hardly  have  overtaken  them,  if  the  vessel  had 
not  stopped  to  discharge  cargo.  The  cool  self-possession 
exhibited  by  both  parties,  in  order  to  avoid  observation, 
was  really  astonishing ; on  his  part,  in  not  giving  way 
to  his  just  displeasure,  but  remaining  composed  and 
serious ; on  her  part,  in  allowing  no  shock  or  trace  of 
alarm  to  be  visible,  which  would  have  been  so  natural, 
when  her  deeply  injured  husband,  whom  she  supposed 
to  be  1,400  miles  distant,  stood  suddenly  before  her. 
They  all  three  left  the  boat  next  morning. 

On  the  20th  of  February  I arrived  again  at  Cincin- 
nati, and  was  kindly  received  by  all  my  old  acquaint- 
ances after  my  long  absence  and  adventures. 

Cincinnati,  the  queen  of  the  West,  the  El  Dorado  of 


3 20  WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 

the  German  emigrant ! Ask  a German,  who  is 
travelling  into  the  interior  from  one  of  the  seaports, 
Where  are  you  going?  and  the  answer  will  invariably 
be  — to  Cincinnati.  And  what  will  he  find  there  ? On 
my  arrival  every  house  was  full  of  people  looking  out 
for  work,  and  who  would  willingly  have  taken  any 
wages  that  were  offered  them,  though  only  enough  to 
keep  body  and  soul  together.  Among  others,  I met 
with  a man  who  had  written  to  his  brother  to  come 
over  to  him,  as  this  was  the  land  where  roasted  pigeons 
flew  into  men’s  mouths.  And  as  a proof  of  it,  he 
referred  to  himself : a few  years  ago  he  had  emigrated 
without  a farthing,  and  now  kept  an  hotel  and  coffee- 
house. In  point  of  fact,  it  was  true ; he  had  indeed,  an 
hotel  and  coffee-house ; but  what  does  that  mean  in  Amer- 
ica ? Every  hovel  with  one  room  large  enough  for  five  or 
six  double  beds,  where  a dozen  people  are  fed  three  times 
a day  for  from  two-and-a-quarter  to  two-and-a-half 
dollars  a week  each,  is  called  an  hotel.  Coffee-house 
is  a name  for  any  place  where  two  or  three  bottles 
are  stuck  in  the  window,  while  the  name  of  the  owner 
is  proudly  painted  over  the  door  as  coffee-house  keeper. 
The  poor  German,  deceived  by  these  exalted  titles, 
came  over  to  his  brother,  and  found  him,  in  spite  of 
hotel  and  coffee-house,  in  a miserable  condition,  and 
hardly  able  to  maintain  himself.  Several  similar  cases 
occurred  during  the  time  of  my  residence. 

There  are  a great  number  of  Germans  in  Cincinnati, 
particularly  in  the  upper  town  across  the  canal,  which, 
on  that  account,  is  often  called  Little  Germany  by  the 
Americans.  Unfortunately,  my  beloved  countrymen 
are  not  celebrated  for  cleanliness  and  good  conduct, 


CINCINNATI  AND  ITS  RELIGIOUS  SECTS.  121 


and  the  degree  of  estimation  in  which  they  are  every- 
where held  does  not  at  all  accord  with  the  accounts  I 
had  read  in  a number  of  works  on  America  concerning 
the  way  in  which  they  were  treated  there  ; and 
although  the  well-behaved  are  respected  there  as  else- 
where, yet  it  is  painful  to  hear  the  word  Dutchman, 
as  the  Americans  always  call  us,  used  as  a term  of  re- 
proach, even  when  you  yourself  are  excepted.  Every- 
where in  America,  and  particularly  in  Cincinnati,  there 
are  people  who,  having  gained  a few  dollars,  look  down 
with  contempt  on  their  poorer  countrymen,  and  even 
join  the  Americans  in  abusing  them,  showing  how 
little  they  care  about  the  esteem  in  which  the  German 
is  held ; these,  however,  were  exceptions,  and  I was 
heartily  ashamed  of  them. 

Although  the  situation  of  Cincinnati  is  very  healthy, 
yet  it  abounds  in  doctors  and  apothecaries.  Numbers 
of  the  former  are  Germans;  how  they  all  manage  to 
live  is  quite  a mystery. 

I was  much  amused  with  some  of  the  religious 
absurdities  which  are  carried  on  at  Cincinnati,  and  in 
which  my  countrymen  also  distinguish  themselves. 
The  Methodists,  under  the  guidance  of  a Pennsylvanian 

of  the  name  of  N h,  carry  these  practices  to  the 

greatest  excess ; on  every  Sunday  evening  they  meet 
to  howl,  and  jump,  and  beat  their  breasts,  and  then 
pronounce  themselves  perfectly  happy. 

This  party  supports  a paper  called  the  “ Christian 
Apology.”  Its  bitterest  opponent  is  the  Roman  Cath- 
olic “Friend  of  Truth,”  which  only  discontinues  its 
thunder  against  the  heretical  folly  of  the  “ Christian 
Apology  ” when  it  hurls  a whole  volley  of  abuse  and  ex- 
11 


122 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


ecration  against  the  “ Friend  of  Light,”  which  advocates 
rational  religion,  and  holds  up  the  two  others  to  ridicule. 

During  my  present  residence,  I heard  that  a German 
girl  was  lying  sick,  and  said  to  be  possessed  of  a devil, 
in  “ Little  Germany.”  At  first  I would  not  believe 
that  any  thing  of  the  sort  could  occur  in  the  present 
day ; — but  a young  Oldenburgher,  with  whom  I had  be- 
come acquainted,  assured  me  by  all  that  was  holy,  that 
it  was  so,  that  he  had  seen  it,  and  that  having  expressed 
his  opinion  rather  too  freely,  the  bigoted  people,  Roman 
Catholic  Alsatians,  fell  upon  him,  and  drove  him  out  of 
the  house. 

I decided  on  witnessing  the  proceedings,  and,  in  com- 
pany with  a friend,  set  off  one  evening  to  the  house  in 
Little  Germany.  We  had  no  difficulty  in  finding  our 
way  to  the  “ sick  maiden,”  for  the  whole  of  that  part 
of  the  town  was  full  of  the  extraordinary  circumstance, 
as  they  called  it.  It  was  dark  when  we  entered  a little 
room  in  a frame  house : a lamp  on  the  chimney-piece 
was  nearly  burnt  out,  the  space  was  almost  filled  by 
about  thirty  people  all  on  their  knees  in  silent  prayer ; 
not  a word  was  spoken : the  lamp  flickered,  flashed  up 
again,  and  went  out.  It  remained  perfectly  dark,  and 
nothing  was  audible  but  the  breathing  of  those  who 
were  repeating  their  prayers  ; then  a low  murmuring, 
rustling  sound  struck  the  ear,  and  for  some  time  I did 
not  know  what  to  make  of  it.  Suddenly  a door  opened, 
light  streamed  into  the  room,  and  with  it  the  murmurs 
of  numerous  voices.  People  came  through  the  door- 
way, and  those  who  had  been  praying  on  their  knees 
rose  up,  and  moved  towards  the  light : we  followed  the 
stream.  An  extraordinary  sight  presented  itself : we 


THE  GIRL  “POSSESSED  WITH  A DEVIL.*  123 


entered  a tolerably  sized  room,  oppressively  hot,  and 
full  of  people  on  their  knees,  both  men  and  women. 
It  was  lighted  by  two  candles  on  a table,  at  which 
three  men  were  seated,  with  open  books,  reading  aloud 
the  Roman  Catholic  prayer,  “ Blessed  art  thou,  Maria,” 
which  all  the  people  repeated  after  them ; when  it  was 
ended,  they  began  again. 

Although  it  was  only  May,  the  heat  was  so  great 
from  the  number  of  people  that  I felt  half-boiled ; but 
it  seemed  much  warmer  to  the  poor  creature,  who  was 
being  made  a sacrifice  to  the  demon  of  absurdity.  She 
was  lying  in  a wide  bed  in  the  corner  opposite  to  the 
table,  and  was  said  to  be  seventeen  years  old ; I should 
have  guessed  her  nearer  thirty-seven.  She  appeared  to 
be  very  weak  and  ailing,  and  no  wonder,  considering 
that  the  praying  went  on  night  and  day  without  inter- 
mission : her  mother  leant  over  her,  wiping  away  from 
her  brow  the  perspiration  arising  from  the  heat  of  the 
room. 

It  may  have  been  about  seven  o’clock  when  we 
entered  this  sepulchre  of  reason  and  common  sense, 
and  it  was  ten  before  we  succeeded  in  making  our  way 
out ; and  the  whole  time  was  occupied  with  a mono- 
tonous repetition  of  the  same  prayer,  offered  up,  as  a 
little  Alsatian  lightly  whispered  to  me,  “ To  drive  out 
the  devil  in  order  that  she  may  recover.”  The  devil 
in  question  must  certainly  have  been  one  of  the  most 
obstinate  that  ever  existed,  for  had  I been  in  his  place, 
such  proceedings  would  have  driven  me  out  long  ago. 
It  was  a real  luxury  to  inhale  the  pure  night  air,  after 
escaping  from  such  a pestilential  hole.  I have  never 
heard  sine®  what  became  of  the  poor  woman. 


124 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 

As  I learned,  after  a long  stay  in  Cincinnati,  that  I 
had  been  deceived  by  those  I had  trusted  in  New  York, 
and  that  not  only  all  my  money  but  my  clothes  also 
were  gone,  there  was  nothing  left  for  it  but  to  en- 
deavor to  get  work.  I had  already  made  a few  voyages 
as  sailor  and  stoker  on  board  a steamer,  which  affected 
my  health,  and  laid  me  up  for  several  weeks.  Besides, 
human  life  did  not  seem  to  be  particularly  safe  on 
board  American  steamers,  especially  on  the  western 
waters,  disasters  frequently  happening  through  the 
rashness  and  carelessness  of  the  officers  in  charge ; for 
example,  while  I was  in  one  of  them,  the  u Moselle,”  a 
very  fast  boat,  was  blown  up  near  Cincinnati,  through 
the  obstinacy  of  the  captain  in  racing  with  another 
boat,  and  stopping  the  safety-valve,  by  which  130  per- 
sons, whose  names  were  on  the  passengers’  list,  lost 
their  lives,  besides  a number  of  steerage  passengers, 
whose  names  are  not  inscribed.  Thirty  carts  were 
employed  in  carrying  their  mutilated  remains  to  the 
burial-places ; for  weeks  afterwards,  bodies  were  fre- 
quently washed  on  shore.  The  force  of  the  steam  was 
so  great,  that  one  man  was  thrown  over  to  the  Ken- 
tucky shore,  and  another  came  down,  head  foremost, 
through  a shingle  roof. 

In  preference  to  such  a life,  I sought  for  work  in 
Cincinnati,  and  obtained  it  at  a silversmith’s.  Though 
at  first  without  any  knowledge  of  the  business,  I soon 
acquired  it,  and  was  treated  by  the  master  and  his 
family,  good  kind  Americans,  as  if  I had  been  one  of 
their  own  relations.  This  was  the  quietest  time  of  my 
existence.  I worked  hard  and  lived  moderately.  But 
this  sort  of  life  did  not  suit  me : I lonsred  for  the  free 


I START  AFRESH  FOR  THE  WOODS. 


123 


woods  and  nature,  and  was  only  detained  by  the  hopes 
of  acquiring  a sufficiency,  and  then  buying  a portion  of 
land  and  settling,  together  with  the  fulfilment  of  other 
long-cherished  plans.  But  plans  they  remained,  and 
in  May  I cast  off  my  self-imposed  yoke ; having  ex- 
changed my  shot  gun  for  a double-barrelled  rifle,  got 
all  my  shooting  gear  in  order,  packed  up  a zither, 
which  I had  bought  and  learnt  to  play  in  Cincinnati, 
I bade  a hearty  farewell  to  all  the  kind  friends  I had 
made,  and  set  off  again  with  a young  German,  named 
Uhl,  by  the  steamer  “ Commerce,”  to  seek  fresh  adven- 
tures and  encounter  new  dangers. 

The  steamer  foamed  and  hissed  through  the  waves, 
which  rose  high  upon  her  bows,  the  land  receding  on 
both  sides,  as  if  impelled  by  a magician’s  wand.  I felt 
as  if  new  born,  and  flying  to  some  strange,  wild  land. 
At  first  starting,  the  ideas  awakened  by  the  passing 
scenes  were  rather  confused,  but,  as  we  rushed  on,  they 
became  clearer,  and  at  last  I might  have  nodded  to 
each  gigantic  tree  that  adorned  the  beautiful  banks  of 
the  Ohio,  and  asked  if  it  did  not  remember  me. 

My  companion,  a young  Berliner,  with  whom  I had 
become  acquainted  and  struck  up  a friendship  in  Cin- 
cinnati, and  who  was  as  fond  of  field  sports  as  myself, 
did  not  participate  in  my  feelings,  but  sat  himself  down 
comfortably  with  no  trifling  appetite  to  a symposium, 
which  he  had  provided  for  himself,  in  the  shape  of  a 
smoked  tongue,  with  bread  and  whiskey.  We  had  not 
proceeded  far  when  it  grew  dark;  and,  fatigued  with 
all  the  labors  and  excitement  of  the  day,  I was  soon 
ensconced  on  my  soft,  warm  buffalo  skin. 

On  the  17th  May,  1839,  we  entered  the  Mississippi, 
11* 


126 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


whom  I saluted  as  an  old,  long  lost,  and  long  wished- 
for  friend ; a change  in  the  color  shows  where  the 
Ohio  joins  the  “ Father  of  Waters,”  for  the  first  is  clear 
and  bright,  while  the  latter  is  dull  and  muddy.  They 
run  together  for  some  distance,  quite  distinct,  the 
Mississippi  becoming  more  and  more  intrusive,  the 
other  shyly  withdrawing,  as  if  vexed  that  its  clear 
waves  should  be  contaminated  by  all  the  dirt  which  its 
companion  derives  from  the  Missouri. 

On  the  18th,  at  five  in  the  afternoon,  the  “ Com- 
merce” stopped  at  Memphis,  in  Tennessee.  We  imme- 
diately crossed  to  the  opposite  side,  and  sprang  joyfully 
ashore  in  the  long-desired  Arkansas.  We  greatly 
enjoyed  the  mild  balsamic  air  that  blew  towards  us 
from  the  green  forest,  after  our  four  days’  voyage,  and 
we  should  have  enjoyed  it  still  more  but  for  the  load 
we  had  to  carry.  Besides  my  game-bag,  which  was 
filled  with  all  possible  sorts  of  things,  I had  a large 
buffalo  skin,  and  Uhl  a heavy  blanket,  with  our  store  of 
powder  and  ball.  But  we  were  fresh  and  in  good  con- 
dition, and  resolved,  although  it  was  already  dusk,  to 
commence  our  march  the  same  evening,  taking  advan- 
tage of  the  cool  night  air,  the  mid-day  sun  of  Arkansas 
being  rather  too  kindly  disposed.  We  walked  on  for 
about  five  miles  in  the  brightest  moonlight,  and  then 
lay  down  to  repose,  but  were  obliged  to  get  up  again 
and  make  a fire,  on  account  of  the  mosquitoes,  which 
were  very  troublesome. 

The  next  morning  found  us  cheerful  and  refreshed, 
and,  as  hungry  as  lions,  we  started  off,  in  the  hope  of 
making  a prize  of  a deer ; but  a farmer  told  us  that  this 
was  not  the  right  season  for  them,  and  we  were  glad  to 


BAD  SPORT  AND  BAD  WEATHER. 


127 


enter  a house  and  satiate  our  appetites  with  bacon  and 
maize  bread.  The  information  we  obtained  about  the 
game  was  not  very  encouraging ; they  all  seek  shelter 
in  the  thickest  coppices,  or  among  the  reeds  to  avoid 
the  flies  and  mosquitoes,  which  persecute  the  poor 
creatures  incessantly;  but  we  could  not  now  change 
our  plans,  so  marched  steadfastly  on.  The  farmers  were 
quite  right ; we  did  not  see  any  deer,  or  any  traces  of 
them ; a poor  partridge,  perched  on  a tree,  as  is  cus- 
tomary with  the  American  partridges,  and  looking  at 
us  with  inquiring  eyes,  was  our  only  sport. 

In  the  afternoon  the  sky  became  covered  with  dark 
clouds,  to  our  great  delight,  because  it  made  the  air  so 
much  cooler.  In  the  evening  we  saw  the  first  turkey. 
He  was  crossing  our  path,  and  stood  still  when  he  saw 
us  : Uhl  fired  and  missed ; so  our  turkey  made  his  bow 
and  departed. 

Heavy  rain  came  on  with  the  night,  and  we  were 
very  glad  to  find  an  old  deserted  house,  where  at  least 
we  could  keep  ourselves  dry.  We  made  a glorious  fire, 
and  the  rain  holding  up  for  a short  time,  we  washed 
our  clothes,  which  soon  dried  by  the  blaze  we  had 
made.  We  then  broiled  the  partridge  in  the  iron 
spoon  that  we  carried  with  us  for  melting  lead, 
sprinkled  it  with  powder  for  want  of  salt,  and  discussed 
it  under  the  mournful  feeling  of  “ only  one  bird  for  two 
men.” 

The  next  morning  brought  with  it  better  weather, 
and  an  excessively  bad  road,  the  rain  having  all  but 
destroyed  it ; a few  miles  from  our  night’s  quarters  we 
came  to  a house,  in  which  we  could  at  least  satisfy  our 
hunger.  As  the  roads  were  so  bad,  we  decided  on 


128  WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 

leaving  our  heavy  articles  here  for  a time  while  we 
went  in  search  of  game.  But  game  seemed  to  have 
vanished  entirely ; we  traversed  the  forest  in  all  direc- 
tions in  vain:  we  only  saw  a few  turkeys,  and  these 
were  too  shy  to  let  us  come  within  shot.  We  took  up 
stations  to  watch  for  them  in  the  night,  but  without 
seeing  any  thing,  and  returned  disappointed  and  tired 
to  the  house. 

Greater  misfortune  awaited  me  next  day.  Con- 
tinuing our  route,  we  came  on  the  fresh  trail  of  a bear, 
and  eagerly  followed  it,  but  the  wood  was  so  thick  and 
our  packs  so  inconvenient  that  we  were  obliged  to  give 
it  up.  On  returning  to  the  path,  I was  in  the  act  of 
springing  over  a pool,  when  my  foot  catching  in  one  of 
the  numerous  creepers  that  cover  the  ground,  I was 
thrown,  and  broke  the  stock  of  my  rifle,  besides  cutting 
my  under  lip  and  loosening  some  of  my  teeth : I secured 
my  rifle  as  well  as  I could  with  my  pocket  handker- 
chief, and  went  on  vexed  and  out  of  tune. 

About  ten  o’clock  in  the  morning,  the  sun  began  to 
dart  his  hot  rays  upon  us  rather  more  fiercely  than  we 
thought  agreeable  ; we  resolved  to  enter  the  first  house 
we  came  to,  till  the  great  heat  of  the  day  was  passed. 
It  happened  to  be  inhabited  by  an  elderly  widow  and 
her  sons  ; while  we  were  conversing  together  I observed 
one  of  the  boys  fishing  in  a little  flowing  stream,  pull- 
ing up  prizes  as  fast  as  he  could.  The  lucky  fisherman 
excited  my  curiosity ; I went  to  see  what  he  was  catch- 
ing, and  could  hardly  believe  my  eyes  when  I found 
that  they  were  crawfish.  So  long  was  it  since  I had 
tasted  them,  that  they  made  my  mouth  water ; I soon 
got  my  fish-hook  to  work,  and  in  the  course  of  half  an 


CRAWFISH BLACKFISH  LAKE. 


129 


hour  Uhl  and  I with  two  of  the  boys  had  caught  half 
a pailful.  The  old  lady  looked  at  us  with  astonish- 
ment as  we  seized  a saucepan,  put  in  the  crawfish  with 
a little  salt,  filled  it  up  with  water,  and  set  it  on  the 
fire ; they  had  always  thought  them  only  fit  for  bait. 
The  crawfish  soon  began  to  show  their  red  noses,  and, 
when  done,  we  set  to  work  on  them.  The  meal  itself 
was  no  slight  treat,  but  our  enjoyment  was  much 
heightened  by  watching  the  countenances  of  the  Ameri- 
cans, expressive  half  of  merriment,  half  of  disgust, 
for  they  had  never  dreamt  that  people  could  eat  such 
nasty  animals  with  such  a zest. 

When  the  trees  made  long  shadows  we  took  a friendly 
leave  of  these  kind  folks,  and  set  off*  towards  the  west. 
About  ten  o’clock  we  came  to  Blackfish  lake,  which 
we  had  to  cross.  There  was  a house  on  the  bank, 
where  the  ferryman  lived ; but  everybody  seemed  fast 
asleep  — so  we  lighted  our  fire  close  to  the  lake,  and, 
covering  ourselves  well  in  our  buffalo  skin  and  blanket, 
we  slept  soundly  till  the  morning  in  spite  of  the  mos- 
quitoes who  were  humming  furiously  above  us. 

On  the  22nd  May  we  were  stirring  at  daybreak  ; and 
who  would  not  have  been  so,  after  sleeping  in  the  open 
air  in  a southern  climate,  surrounded  by  mosquitoes, 
which  by  the  first  glimmer  of  light  collect  all  their 
forces  to  attack  more  ferociously  than  ever?  Wre 
roused  the  ferryman,  who  told  us  of  an  unexpected 
swamp,  which  it  would  be  impossible  for  us  to  get 
through  with  such  a weight  of  baggage.  I had  heard 
the  word  impossible  too  often,  to  have  much  respect  for 
it,  it  being  frequently  applied  to  things  that  afterwards 
were  proved  to  be  very  possible;  however,  a swamp 


130 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


ten  miles  long  did  not  sound  pleasant.  We  had  to  beg 
hard  and  pay  high  for  a morsel  of  bread  to  quiet  our 
appetite,  the  man  declaring  that  he  had  nothing  else  for 
himself. 

Blackfish  lake  is  a desolate,  melancholy-looking, 
coffee-colored  piece  of  water,  several  miles  long,  and 
some  hundreds  of  yards  wide,  and  its  gloom  is  in- 
creased by  overhanging  cypresses.  It  is  said  to  be 
full  of  snakes  and  other  reptiles.  Arrived  on  the 
opposite  side,  we  had  not  to  look  out  long  for  the 
swamp.  It  was  straight  before  our  eyes.  In  point  of 
fact,  the  whole  land  we  had  passed  through  was  very 
like  a swamp,  but  hitherto  there  had  been  a broad 
chaussee,  running  in  a direct  line  through  the  State  of 
Arkansas,  from  east  to  west,  from  Memphis,  in  Ten- 
nessee, to  Batesville ; but  on  the  west  bank  of  Black- 
fish  lake  it  was  not  yet  cut  through  the  forest,  nor 
raised  above  the  swamp.  We  were  now  to  enter 
the  recesses  of  the  primeval  forest.  And  what  a forest ! 
and  what  a journey ! A load  of  from  sixty  to  seventy 
pounds  on  our  shoulders,  soft  mud  under  our  feet,  the 
heat  of  the  sun  increasing,  the  swamp  giving  out  a hot 
suffocating  air  ! Such  was  our  enviable  position.  We 
had-  hardly  worked  our  way  for  a quarter  of  a mile 
through  mud  and  thorns,  when  we  were  obliged  to  sit 
down  and  rest ; but  rest  was  also  a torment ; there  was 
not  a breath  of  wind  to  refresh  us,  and  the  moment  we 
stopped  millions  of  mosquitoes  attacked  us.  The  water 
was  lukewarm,  and  we  had  to  suck  it  up  from  pools 
covered  with  slime.  If  we  left  the  regular  path,  which 
was  the  most  muddy,  and  tried  a short  cut  through  the 
wood,  we  were  caught  at  every  step  by  the  thorns  and 


A PICNIC  IN  THE  WOODS. 


131 


creepers,  which  in  many  places  were  impenetrable.  In 
spite  of  all,  we  were  not  discouraged,  but  went  on  as 
well  as  we  could,  floundering  and  resting  alternately. 
After  a time,  while  taking  a short  repose,  we  heard 
the  strokes  of  an  axe  — a heavenly  sound  to  our  ears. 
We  laid  aside  our  burdens,  and  Uhl  followed  the 
direction  of  the  sound,  to  discover  what  unfortunate 
child  of  man  was  thinking  of  settling  in  such  a swamp. 
He  soon  came  back,  and  called  to  me  to  take  up  the 
packages  and  come  along,  for  he  had  found  some 
charming  people  ; and  we  both  worked  our  way 
through  the  almost  impervious  thicket  to  these  stran- 
gers. 

They  were  a family  from  Tennessee,  who  had  halted 
to  dine.  The  group  consisted  of  the  father,  a large, 
strong  built  man,  upon  whom  time  was  just  beginning 
to  set  his  wrinkles,  his  wife,  also  formed  on  a large 
scale,  two  sons,  of  fifteen  and  ten,  and  three  daughters, 
from  twelve  to  seven.  A horse  and  pair  of  oxen  were 
feeding  quietly  near  them,  and  two  large  dogs  were  hid 
under  the  two  carts,  one  of  which  was  for  baggage,  the 
other,  rather  lighter,  for  the  wife  and  children.  The 
dogs,  anxiously  looking  out  for  their  food,  advanced  as 
near  as  their  ropes  would  allow  to  the  table-cloth, 
which  was  spread  out  on  a dry  place.  Maize-bread  and 
butter,  pork,  cheese,  and  coffee  were  the  ingredients  of 
the  meal ; and,  after  a kindly  greeting,  and  a hearty 
invitation  from  the  seniors,  we  were  soon  all  in  our 
places,  in  Turkish  attitudes,  round  the  table-cloth. 
The  children  had  kindled  fires  all  round  us,  laying  on 
rotten  wood,  there  being  no  scarcity  of  it,  so  that  we 
were  sheltered  by  a thick  smoke,  which  these  tor- 


132 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


menting  demons  cannot  bear.  Thus  we  were  left  in 
tolerable  repose. 

Uhl  and  I did  not  disgrace  our  German  lineage  in 
regard  to  the  provisions,  and  after  the  greater  part  of 
them  had  disappeared,  we  set  off  again  on  our  journey, 
taking  a cordial  farewell  of  our  hospitable  friends  ; and 
footmarks,  of  from  eighteen  inches  to  two  feet  deep 
impressed  in  the  soft  mud,  and  rapidly  filling  with 
water,  soon  showed  that  two  pair  of  German  boots  had 
passed  that  way.  At  length,  when  the  sun  had  de- 
scended below  the  tops  of  the  trees,  and  was  glowing 
like  a fiery  red  ball  above  the  horizon,  after  the 
greatest  exertions,  we  approached  the  termination  of 
our  amphibious  walk.  The  forest  opened  a little,  and 
we  caught  sight  of  a block-house  standing  on  dry 
ground.  We  decided  on  making  a short  stay  here  at 
all  events,  to  recover  from  our  fatigue,  and  to  clean 
and  wash  our  clothes. 

On  the  next  morning  I awoke  with  an  excessive 
itching  in  my  face  and  right  shoulder,  and  found,  to  my 
no  slight  astonishment,  that  both  parts  were  much 
swelled,  and  covered  with  small  blisters.  An  Ameri- 
can, who  dwelt  a few  hundred  paces  from  the  house, 
and  who  probably  came  to  see  us  and  pick  up  any  news, 
soon  cleared  up  the  mystery.  A great  many  of  the 
creepers  and  shrubs  in  the  swamps  have  a milk-white 
sap,  which  is  poisonous,  and  it  is  likely  that  I may 
have  broken  some  of  them,  and  my  face  and  shoulder 
may  have  been  smeared  with  this  sap.  Wet  and  cold 
applications  are  considered  the  best  cure.  I accord- 
ingly surrendered  myself  to  such  treatment,  first  rub- 
bing my  face  well  with  pork  fat,  as  an  antidote  to  the 


MULE  DRIVERS  FROM  TEXAS. 


133 


poison.  I must  have  cut  a pretty  figure  with  my 
swollen,  blistered,  shining  face.  Uhl  nearly  killed  him- 
self with  laughing  at  me. 

In  the  evening,  some  mule  drivers  from  Texas  came 
in,  having  pitched  their  camp  not  far  from  the  'house. 
They  consisted  of  three  whites,  and  two  Cherokees. 
One  of  the  Indians  spoke  English  very  well,  and  I had 
a long  conversation  with  him.  He  had  adopted  all 
the  habits  of  the  whites,  although  he  did  not  seem  to 
have  much  love  for  them.  I went  to  bed  late,  and 
dreamed  of  Indians  and  buffalo  hunts. 

All  next  day  I was  obliged  to  remain  quiet,  on  ac- 
count of  my  swelled  face,  and  was  rewarded  for  my 
patience  by  being  nearly  well  by  the  evening.  As  the 
baggage  we  had  hitherto  carried  was  too  heavy,  we 
resolved  to  leave  some  of  it  with  these  people  till  we 
saw  what  was  likely  to  become  of  us.  We  had  neither 
of  us  any  settled  plan.  Our  mutual  wish  had  only  been 
freedom  and  the  forest,  rightly  conjecturing  that  all  the 
rest  T&ould  come  of  itself. 

As  on  the  second  day  we  continued  our  journey  a 
great  deal  lighter,  and  with  renewed  strength.  After 
several  miles  walk  we  came  to  a smithy,  where,  luckily, 
I could  get  my  gun  repaired,  otherwise  I should  not 
have  been  able  to  shoot.  This  smithy  was  at  a Mr. 
Strong’s  plantation,  where  the  road  branches  off  to  Lit- 
tle Rock,  and  to  Batesville.  We  were  undecided  which 
to  take,  when  we  were  told  that  we  should  find  much 
more  game  on  the  road  to  Batesville.  This  settled 
the  point.  We  waited  till  the  cool  of  the  evening  to 
resume  our  march.  While  the  smith  was  repairing 
my  gun,  the  Tennessee  man,  with  his  family,  arrived 
12 


134 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  PAR  WEST. 


from  the  marsh.  He  had  been  three  days  and  three 
nights  coming  the  ten  miles,  and  even  now  it  is  a riddle 
to  me  how  he  managed  it. 

On  the  evening  of  the  26th  of  May,  after  a rich  feast 
on  the  quantities  of  blackberries  which  grew  by  the 
way,  we  came  to  a house  belonging  to  a man  of  the 
name  of  Saint,  and  decided  on  staying  there  to  sleep ; 
we  found  a better  set  of  people  than  we  had  expected, 
and  engaged  in  a long  conversation  with  our  host. 
After  supper,  to  our  no  small  horror  we  learnt  that 
unless  we  could  swim  twenty-eight  miles,  further  j^o- 
gress  was  not  to  be  thought  of,  as  the  whole  swamp 
between  this  and  White  river  was  under  water.  Uhl 
and  I looked  at  each  other,  with  long  faces,  as  much 
as  to  say,  “ quid  faciamus  nos ; ” but  Saint  was  good 
enough  to  invite  us  to  stay  with  him  till  the  swamp 
had  somewhat  dried  up,  which  at  least  would  be  about 
the  middle  of  July ; meantime  we  could  go  out  shoot- 
ing, and  the  game  we  brought  home  would  well  repay 
him  for  all  our  expenses. 

This,  of  course,  was  grist  to  our  mill,  and  we  soon 
made  ourselves  at  home.  On  the  following  morning, 
almost  before  we  were  settled,  we  went  to  the  forest 
with  our  host,  a keen  sportsman,  to  look  for  bears, 
taking  seven  dogs  with  us.  And  what  a country  he 
took  us  to  ! Swamps  and  thorns,  creepers,  wild  vines, 
fallen  trees,  half  or  entirely  rotted,  deep  and  muddy 
water-courses,  bushes  so  thick  that  you  could  hardly 
stick  a knife  into  them,  and,  to  complete  the  enjoyment, 
clouds  of  mosquitoes  and  gnats,  not  to  mention  snakes 
lying  about  on  the  edges  of  the  water-courses  ; such  is 
the  aboriginal  American  forest,  and  in  such  a scene  we 
commenced  our  sport. 


A SWIMMING-RACE  WITH  THE  DOGS. 


135 


After  an  hour  or  two,  the  dogs  started  a young  bear, 
and  followed  him  in  full  cry,  but  had  not  gone  far 
when  they  were  stopped  by  the  river  l’Anguille,  or,  as 
they  call  it  here,  the  Langee ; neither  coaxing  nor 
threats  could  induce  them  to  take  to  the  water,  and  Saint 
thought  that  if  one  of  us  swam  over,  the  dogs  would 
follow,  and  that  we  should  find  the  trail  again  on  the 
other  side.  Saint  could  not  swim,  Uhl  would  not : so 
I threw  off  my  clothes,  and  plunged  in.  The  river, 
which  in  summer  is  very  shallow,  and  hardly  seems  to 
flow*,  was  now  much  swollen,  and  had  overflowed  its 
banks.  As  soon  as  I had  swam  some  distance,  Saint 
began  to  cheer  on  the  dogs,  and  I soon  heard  them 
spring  into  the  water,  one  after  the  other,  and  follow 
me.  I was  swimming  slowly  with  long  strokes,  and 
had  reached  about  the  middle  of  the  river,  when  I 
heard  two  of  the  dogs  close  behind  me,  while  Saint  was 
still  cheering  them  on  from  the  bank,  as  if  to  attack  a 
bear.  The  two  near  me  were  barking  furiously,  and 
the  thought  flashed  upon  me : suppose  they  were  to 
seize  me  ? If  only  one  had  attacked  me,  all  the  rest 
would  have  joined,  and  as  they  were  strangers  to  me, 
if  they  had  fallen  upon  me  I should  have  had  no 
chance : so  I began  to  strike  out  as  hard  and  as  fast 
as  I could  to  reach  the  shore.  Exerting  myself  for  my 
life,  I came  nearer  and  nearer  the  bank,  but  the 
excited  dogs  swam  faster  still,  and  I heard  the  snorting 
of  one  of  them  close  to  me  when  I felt  the  ground : in 
an  instant  I and  the  dogs  were  both  on  shore.  The 
danger  was  over  now,  and  they  began  to  hunt ; but 
either  the  bear  had  followed  the  stream,  and  landed 
lower  down,  or  the  ground  was  too  wet  for  the  scent ; 


136 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


in  short,  we  could  not  find  the  trail.  We  tried  our 
luck  at  another  place,  with  no  more  success,  and  re- 
turned home  towards  evening  quite  tired  and  out  of 
spirits. 

Our  hosts  to  all  appearance  were  very  religious 
people,  and  we  had  prayers  every  evening.  This 
evening  we  went  early  to  bed,  being  all  very  tired,  so 
that,  as  yet,  I hardly  had  time  to  take  much  notice  of 
the  people  we  were  to  live  with.  We  had  to  be 
awakened  for  breakfast ; afterwards  we  strolled  about 
the  house  and  fields  to  realize  our  situation.  Saint  was 
a man  of  about  forty,  with  a bright  clear  eye,  and  open 
brow ; you  were  captivated  by  him  at  the  very  first 
sight.  His  wife,  an  Irishwoman,  treated  us  very  civilly 
and  kindly,  and  proved  to  be  an  excellent  manager. 
They  had  no  children ; but  there  was  another  person 
in  the  house,  who  demands  a more  particular  descrip- 
tion. * This  was  a duodecimo  Irish  shoemaker,  or,  as 
he  always  insisted  — schoolmaster,  for  such,  by  his  own 
account,  was  his  former  occupation,  though  now  he  made 
shoes.  Saint  had  bought  a quantity  of  leather,  and  the 
little  Irishman  was  to  work  it  up,  receiving  a certain 
monthly  sum.  He  had  red  hair,  was  pock-marked, 
stood  about  five  feet,  but  was  stout  and  strongly  built, 
and  may  have  been  about  fifty  years  old.  He  spoke 
unwillingly  about  his  age,  wishing  to  pass  for  much 
younger.  Saint,  who  loved  to  joke  with  him,  told  us, 
with  a smile,  that  on  Sunday  we  should  see  him  in  his 
best,  when  he  would  go  to  pay  his  court  to  a young 
widow  in  the  neighborhood. 

The  house  was  built  of  logs,  roughly  cut.  It  con* 
sisted  of  two  ordinary  houses,  under  one  roof,  with  a 


saint’s  woodland  farm. 


137 


passage  between  them  open  to  north  and  south,  a nice 
cool  place  to  eat  or  sleep  in  during  summer.  Like  all 
block-houses  of  this  sort,  it  was  roofed  with  rough  four- 
feet  planks ; there  were  no  windows,  but  in  each  house 
a good  fireplace  of  clay.  A field  of  about  five  acres 
was  in  front  of  the  house,  planted  with  Indian  corn, 
excepting  a small  portion  which  was  planted  with 
wheat.  Southwest  from  the  house  stood  the  stable, 
which  S.  was  obliged  to  build,  because  he  gave  “ good 
accommodation  to  man  and  horse  ; ” otherwise  it  is  not 
much  the  custom  in  Arkansas  to  trouble  one’s  self 
about  stables.  A place,  called  a *lot,”  with  a high 
fence,  is  used  for  the  horses,  hollowed  trees  serving 
for  mangers.  Near  at  hand  was  a smaller  log-house 
for  the  store  of  Indian  corn,  and  a couple  of  hundred 
paces  further  was  a mill  which  S.  had  built  to  grind 
such  corn  as  he  wanted  for  his  own  use,  and  which  was 
worked  by  one  horse. 

About  a quarter  of  a mile  from  the  house,  through 
the  wood,  there  was  another  field  of  about  five  acres, 
also  sown  with  maize.  The  river  l’Anguille  flowed 
close  in  the  rear  of  the  house ; another  small  building 
at  the  back  of  the  dwelling  was  used  as  a smoking 
house ; near  it  was  a well  about  thirty -two  feet  deep. 

We  went  out  shooting  and  wandering  through  the 
woods  all  day  long,  though  with  little  sport.  Uhl  had 
had  better  luck  than  I,  so  being  firmly  resolved  to 
bring  home  something,  I had  been  straying  in  the  forest 
from  daybreak,  when  at  last  I saw  a deer.  Firing  too 
eagerly  I took  bad  aim,  and  he  fled  with  long  bounds 
to  the  thicket;  but  red  marks  on  the  leaves  showed 
that  he  was  hit.  I followed  the  trail ; — but  without  a 
12  * 


138 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


dog  it  was  slow  work,  and  then  the  increasing  darkness 
convinced  me  of  the  impossibility  of  finding  either  the 
deer  or  the  way  back  to  the  house,  being  as  yet  too 
unacquainted  with  the  country  to  be  able  to  find  my 
way  by  the  stars. 

I wa^  soon  comfortably  stretched  by  a blazing  fire, 
and  should  have  done  very  well,  but  for  the  stomach, 
that  constant  tormentor,  who  kept  reminding  me  that 
he  had  had  no  work  to  do  since  the  morning,  except  to 
consume  a few  insignificant  green  sassafras  leaves.  The 
night  was  beautiful,  the  stars  shining  brilliantly,  and  the 
weather  fortunately  too  cool  for  mosquitoes.  I soon 
slept  quietly  and  comfortably  till  about  midnight,  when 
I was  awakened  by  the  disagreeable  howling  of  the 
wolves;  it  seemed  as  if  they  had  all  assembled  to 
give  me  a serenade ; if  so,  the  poor  beasts  had  a very 
ungrateful  audience.  During  the  interval,  the  sharp 
roar  of  a panther  was  heard  rather  too  close  to  my  lair. 
Such  a neighbor  was  by  no  means  desirable  or  trust- 
worthy; so  I fired  in  the  direction  whence  I heard 
the  sound,  and  he  flew  back  again  to  the  jungle.  I 
now  made  up  my  fire  afresh,  and  was  soon  asleep  for 
the  second  time. 

When  I awoke  the  sun  was  peeping  through  the 
branches.  Shaking  my  limbs,  which  were  stiff  with 
cold,  I commenced  my  journey  homewards,  endeavoring 
to  shorten  the  way  by  thoughts  of  a good  warm 
breakfast. 

S.  had  for  some  days  talked  of  cutting  down  a tree, 
in  which  he  had  discovered  a swarm  of  wild  bees,  but 
something  had  always  happened  to  hinder  it ; however, 
on  the  first  of  June  we  set  off  at  daybreak  on  our  long 


BEE-HUNTING WILD  HONEY. 


139 


talked  of  excursion,  the  party  being  increased  by  S.’s 
brother-in-law.  The  two  Americans  took  axes,  while 
Uhl  and  I carried  pails  to  hold  the  honey  we  expected 
to  find.  We  proceeded  to  a little  prairie  about  three 
miles  off,  and  soon  found  the  tree,  which  S.  had  dis- 
covered and  marked.  It  is  a backwoods  custom,  when 
any  one  finds  a tree  with  wild  bees,  and  has  not  time 
or  inclination  to  cut  it  down  at  once,  to  cut  his  name, 
or  if  he  cannot  write,  as  was  the  case  with  S.,  to  make 
his  mark  on  it,  and  if  any  one  else  finds  the  tree  and 
sees  the  mark,  he  goes  on  his  way,  leaving  it  to  the 
first  finder. 

S.’s  tree  was  a decayed  red  oak,  on  the  verge  of  the 
little  prairie.  The  two  axes,  wielded  by  powerful  and 
skilful  arms,  soon  made  the  old  tree  totter,  and  then 
fall  with  a crash.  In  the  mean  time  I had  lighted  a 
fire  by  S.’s  directions,  laid  it  on  a piece  of  bark,  and 
covered  it  with  rotten  wood,  so  that  it  gave  out  a 
thick  black  smoke.  As  soon  as  the  tree  was  down,  I 
held  this  under  the  opening  where  the  bees  went  in  and 
out:  stupefied  by  the  smoke,  they  flew  high  into  the 
air,  never  attempting  to  sting,  though  several  flew  about 
me,  and  lighted  on  my  clothes.  Our  trouble  did  not 
go  unrewarded ; we  found  a pretty  thick  bough  full  of 
honey,  of  which  we  ate  as  much  as  we  wished,  carrying 
home  the  rest. 

S.  seemed  to  be  pleased  with  us,  for  he  asked  us  to 
remain  with  him  to  look  after  his  cattle,  of  which  he 
had  about  two  hundred  head  running  loose  in  the 
woods ; we  might  take  our  rifles  and  shoot  at  the  same 
time.  As  this  seemed  to  suit  our  plans,  we  took  the 
subject  into  serious  consideration,  and  on  Monday, 


140  WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  TAR  WEST. 

I 

June  3rd,  made  the  following  compact.  We  agreed  to 
undertake  the  charge  of  S.’s  cattle,  to  give  them  salt 
in  the  little  prairie  from  time  to  time,  where  a tent  was 
to  be  pitched  for  us,  and  whither  we  were  frequently 
to  drive  them,  to  accustom  them  to  it.  We  were  to 
receive  one-tliird  of  the  produce,  namely:  every  third 
calf,  as  our  property.  S.  bound  himself  to  provide  us 
with  pork,  flour,  coffee,  sugar,  and  salt ; also,  as  soon  as 
he  had  time,  to  build  a small  house  for  us  in  place  of  the 
tent.  So  far  so  good ; but  the  final  clause  was  a jewel, 
and  the  Irish  schoolmaster  who  drew  up  the  bond 
was  not  a little  vain  of  his  performance.  It  stated: 
“ Neither  of  the  undersigned  parties  is  bound  by  this 
contract,  if  any  one  of  them  should  think  that  he  could 
do  better  elsewhere.”  The  important  document  was 
signed  by  both  parties,  S.  making  a cross,  and  then  ^it 
was  carefully  secured  in  S.’s  strong  box,  the  Irishman 
putting  the  copy  in  his  pocket,  probably  to  show  the 
widow  this  specimen  of  his  abilities.  We  shouldered 
our  rifles,  and  trotted  off  to  reconnoitre  our  new 
province. 

Uhl  and  I having  separated,  I shot  a young  deer, 
but  as  it  was  too  heavy  to  carry,  I let  it  lie,  and  took 
a direct  line  towards  home,  marking  the  trees  with  my 
tomahawk  as  I went  * along.  Suddenly  a hen  turkey 

flew  up ; before  I could  fire  she  was  lost  in  the  bushes, 
but  right  under  my  feet  lay  nine  beautiful  eggs,  in  a 
nest  made  of  dry  grass.  I sat  down  to  await  the 
return  of  the  hen,  but  as  she  did  not  choose  to  make 
her  appearance,  I took  up  the  eggs  and  carried  them 
home,  intending  to  rear  them ; then  I went  with  a 
horse  to  pick  up  my  deer. 


SEARCHING  FOR  HORSES. 


141 


Having  signed  the  agreement  with  S.,  and  decided 
on  remaining  here  some  time,  it  was  necessary  to  fetch 
our  things,  which  we  had  left  at  Blackfish  lake,  and 
S.  kindly  offered  us  one  of  his  horses  for  the  purpose ; 
hut  the  horses  were  running  wild  in  the  woods,  and 
had  to  be  caught.  Uhl  and  I set  off  to  catch  one, 
taking  different  directions  ; we  searched  the  whole  day 
without  seeing  a single  trail,  and  our  endeavors  on 
the  following  day  were  just  as  unfortunate.  At  first 
we  hunted  together,  but  afterwards  again  separated. 
I.  went  pacing  along  one  of  the  paths  that  cross  the 
wood  in  all  directions,  but  soon  found  that  it  was  only 
a deer  or  cow  path;  I left  it,  and  pushed  on  in  a 
straight  direction,  careless  as  to  the  line  of  country,  so 
that  I could  only  fall  in  with  a horse ; and  as  to  the 
night,  sleeping  under  the  green  trees  was  more  agree- 
able than  in  a close  room.  The  idea  that  I might  lose 
myself  never  occurred  to  me.  At  length,  however,  as 
I advanced,  the  scenery  assumed  a different  character 
to  that  in  S.’s  neighborhood.  It  was  no  longer 
marshy,  but  the  ground  was  undulating,  and  I once 
more  saw  fir-trees,  which  I had  lately  so  much  longed 
for.  Contrary  to  my  expectations,  I arrived  at  a farm 
before  dark,  but  could  obtain  no  information  about  the 
horses  — no  one  had  seen  any  — and  on  my  asking  how 
far  I was  from  S.’s  farm,  I received  the  agreeable 
answer,  “ At  least  eleven  miles ; ” rather  too  far  for  an 
evening’s  walk  — so  the  good  folks  kindly  asked  me  to 
pass  the  night  with  them.  I placed  my  gun  and  cap 
in  a corner,  and  seated  myself  with  them  in  the  mild 
evening  air;  we  struck  up  an  agreeable  conversation, 
and  I fully  expected  a very  pleasant  evening;  but  a 


142 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


storm  was  brewing  to  disturb  its  serenity.  We  had 
not  long  been  seated  when  a tall,  ceremonious,  respect- 
able looking  man,  buttoned  to  the  chin  in  a long 
brown  coat,  arrived.  He  saluted  us  rather  solemnly, 
then  seating  himself  at  a short  distance,  took  a little 
book  from  his  pocket,  turned  over  the  leaves,  and, 
before  I suspected  any  thing,  he  thundered  out  a hymn 
with  a voice  that  astounded  me.  Not  being  used  to 
such  a proceeding,  I looked  first  at  one  then  at  the 
other  for  some  explanation,  but  they  kept  their  eyes 
fixed  on  the  ground,  looking  very  solemn  all  the  time. 
The  voice  of  the  singer  became  louder  and  louder.  The 
good  man  seemed  to  have  lost  the  end  of  his  song; 
night  came  on,  and  it  was  rather  cold  — still  he  kept 
on,  until  at  last  his  voice  failed,  and  he  was  obliged  to 
stop.  I thought  this  was  all,  but  more  people  arrived, 
among  them  some  very  pretty  young  women,  such  as 
I never  expected  to  see  in  the  wilderness.  The  air 
being  cool  and  damp,  we  entered  the  house,  which  was 
set  out  with  benches,  and  looked  like  a school-room. 
The  case  was  clear  — I had  stumbled  on  a Methodist 
meeting,  and  must  take  the  consequences.  The  singing 
and  praying  lasted  several  hours,  and  I was  heartily 
tired  of  it,  as  it  did  not  agree  with  my  habits  and 
feelings. 

With  the  first  streaks  of  red  I commenced  my 
journey  homewards,  and  arrived  about  noon,  to  find 
that  Uhl,  with  more  luck  than  myself,  had  already 
caught  a horse. 

On  the  8th  of  June  I rode  off  to  Blackfish  lake 
swamp,  to  bring  away  the  things  we  had  left  at  Hamil- 
ton’s. Just  as  I entered  the  house,  Mrs.  Hamilton 


DANCING  FOR  A DINNER. 


143 


had  a robust  little  fellow  in  front  of  her,  a stepson,  I 
believe,  about  three  or  four  years  old,  and  told  him  to 
jump  about  the  room  for  a piece  of  cake  she  held  in 
her  hand.  He  began  to  jump,  and  looked  very  comical 
as  he  bobbed  up  and  down  like  a cork.  When  he 
thought  he  had  earned  his  cake,  he  came  to  ask  for  it, 
but  was  put  off  with  the  word  “ more.”  He  quietly 
went  back  to  his  place,  and  recommenced  his  exercise, 
but  had  lost  the  cheerful  expression  of  his  countenance 
— he  was  doing  it  as  a duty.  After  dancing  for  some 
time  longer,  he  came  again  for  his  cake,  in  the  firm 
belief  that  this  time  he  was  sure  of  it,  but  a “more 
yet  ” made  him  start.  He  begged,  protested,  cried  — 
all  in  vain ; “ more  yet,”  said  his  inexorable  tormentor, 
holding  the  cake  up  for  him  to  jump  at.  Tears  ran 
down  the  poor  little  fellow’s  cheeks,  and  he  jumped 
and  jumped,  and  sobbed,  and  wiped  his  eyes  with  his 
sleeve.  It  was  impossible  to  keep  one’s  countenance 
any  longer,  and  as  I cried  with  laughing,  he  laughed 
through  his  tears.  He  then  received  the  cake  he  had 
so  well  danced  for,  and  jumped  once  more  from  free 
will,  out  of  doors  with  it. 

I packed  all  things  on  the  horse,  and  set  out  on  my 
return  the  same  evening.  On  the  following  morning 
we  began  to  build  our  house ; we  pulled  down  an  old 
block-house,  standing  about  three  miles  from  the  site 
we  had  chosen,  and  carted  the  logs  to  our  prairie, 
where  we  could  easily  rebuild  it.  In  the  backwoods 
building  is  a very  simple  art.  In  the  first  place,  small 
trees  of  oak,  or  some  other  good  wood,  are  felled  and 
cut  to  the  requisite  length.  Next  comes  the  founda- 
tion : two  of  the  largest  trunks  are  laid  parallel  to  each 


144 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


other  on  the  ground  at  the  proper  distance,  two  others 
are  laid  across  their  ends  to  form  the  square,  and  fitted 
into  each  other  with  notches,  which  makes  the  build- 
ing all  the  firmer,  and  closes  the  crevices.  In  this 
way  the  walls  are  run  up,  but  without  any  entrance. 
Ours  being  an  old  house  rebuilt,  the  logs  all  fitted  each 
other,  and  door  and  chimney  were  already  cut,  which,  in 
other  cases,  has  to  be  done  with  the  axe  after  the  walls 
are  up.  The  roof  is  then  laid,  and,  Swiss  fashion,  has 
to  be  secured  with  weights,  to  prevent  its  being  blown 
away ; but  wood  being  more  plentiful  here  than  stone, 
heavy  poles,  called  weight-poles,  or  young  trees  are 
used  instead. 

Although  the  heat  was  oppressive,  our  work  went  on 
rapidly,  and  we  soon  had  the  house  up  all  but  the 
chimney,  which,  it  being  summer,  was  not  so  necessary. 
Besides,  dabbling  with  moist  clay  being  dirty  and  dis- 
agreeable work,  the  chimney  is  generally  left  until  it  is 
too  cold  to  do  without  it.  June  10th,  we  began  our 
fence,  so  that  the  cattle  might  not  walk  into  the  house, 
and  also  to  secure  the  calves,  that  the  cows  might  come 
to  be  milked. 

The  fences  are  formed  of  split  logs  of  black  or  red 
oak,  or  hickory,  ten  or  eleven  feet  long,  and  four  or  five 
inches  thick,  these  woods  splitting  easily;  the  fences 
are  laid  zigzag,  and  carried  to  a height  that  no 
horse,  much  less  a cow,  can  jump  over.  This  was  hard 
work,  and  the  heat  oppressive  ; I felt  very  feverish,  and 
had  a severe  headache,  but  as  the  work  could  not  go  on 
without  me,  I would  not  hang  back.  On  a sudden 
every  thing  began  to  dance  before  my  eyes,  then  all  was 
dark,  and  I fell  fainting  to  the  ground.  I soon  re- 


AGUE MY  METHODIST  FRIEND. 


145 


covered,  and  lay  for  a short  time  in  the  shade  of  a tree, 
then  continued  my  work  till  evening.  Next  day  S. 
wanted  to  get  in  his  wheat,  and  as  I felt  quite  well 
again,  we  went  to  help  him ; I had  hardly  been  half  an 
hour  at  work,  when,  in  spite  of  the  burning  heat,  I felt 
a peculiar  shivering  and  severe  headache,  while  my 
lips  and  nails  turned  blue ; in  short,  there  was  no  doubt 
I had  the  ague.  I went  immediately  to  bed,  and  by 
noon  was  somewhat  better.  S.  would  not  allow  me  to 
return  to  our  hut,  but  insisted  on  my  staying  with  them 
till  my  recovery,  that  I might  always  receive  assistance. 
The  fits  returned  on  the  second  and  third  days,  making 
me  feel  very  weak  and  weary. 

On  the  third  day,  a Saturday,  at  about  two  in  the 
afternoon,  I felt  better,  and  went  to  the  mill,  where  S. 
was  at  work,  meaning  to  help  him  and  take  a little 
exercise,  when  I saw  two  strangers,  a man  and  a woman, 
riding  along  the  road.  With  horror,  I recognized  in  the 
countenance  of  the  man  the  Methodist  preacher  who  had 
so  tormented  me  some  days  before.  It  was  not  without 
reason  that  I dreaded  a repetition  of  the  scene.  He 
rode  past  me  with  an  important  and  expressive  coun- 
tenance, which  seemed  to  say : “ Here  I am  again  you 
see,  make  yourself  happy.  Uhl,  to  whom  I had  given 
a description  of  the  former  meeting,  tried  to  slip  off  with 
me  to  the  hut,  but  we  were  discovered,  and  invited  to 
attend.  The  difference  between  this  and  the  former 
meeting  was  that  we  had  a sermon,  in  the  course  of 
which  two  women  in  succession  jumped  about  in  a 
pitiable  state  of  excitement. 

About  noon  next  day,  the  dogs  ran  round  and  round 
the  field,  always  stopping  at  one  particular  place.  S. 

13 


146 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


said  there  must  be  a fox  there.  I hastened  to  get  a 
shot  at  him,  but  without  success,  till  suddenly,  by  the 
barking  of  the  dogs,  I knew  that  Reynard  must  have 
come  to  a stop,  and  supposed  him  to  have  run  to  earth  ; 
but  what  was  my  surprise  on  finding  him  perched  on  a 
tree,  from  which  he  was  seriously  contemplating  the  furi- 
ous dogs  beneath  him  ! I was  so  astonished  that  at  first  I 
did  not  fire.  When  I did  so,  he  remained  hanging  be- 
tween the  two  branches  where  he  had  squeezed  himself, 
which  was  all  the  better  for  his  skin,  as  the  dogs  would 
have  spoiled  it.  I afterwards  learnt  that  the  foxes  here 
always  climb  a tree,  when  driven  to  the  last,  but  they 
can  only  manage  it  with  small  trees,  nor  can  they  get 
higher  than  ten  or  twelve  feet;  in  the  swamps  they 
generally  live  in  the  hollows  of  trees. 

On  returning  to  the  house  I found  the  little  school- 
master in  the  height  of  his  glory.  He  was  dressed  all 
in  white ; — white  trousers,  a snow  white  shirt  and 
jacket,  white  neckcloth,  a light-colored,  almost  white, 
straw  hat,  and  light  tanned  shoes,  also  almost  white.  To 
all  this  garb  of  innocence,  the  red  hair,  red  face,  redder 
nose,  and  bluish  red  hands,  offered  a striking  contrast ; 
he  seemed  to  be  well  satisfied  with  himself,  stepped 
carefully  over  the  fence,  and  was  soon  lost,  like  a sun- 
beam, in  a dark  forest. 

On  the  20th  June  we  finished  our  fence.  On  the 
21st  we  began  the  floor  of  our  house,  and  on  the  22nd 
the  grand  work  was  all  complete.  In  the  afternoon 
we  went  to  S.’s  to  fetch  our  things,  and  towards  even- 
ing, as  it  was  very  warm,  I plunged  into  the  cool 
stream  flowing  past  the  back  of  the  house,  and  had  to 
pay  for  it  severely  on  the  following  day  by  a return  of 


DUCK-SHOOTING SNAKES  IN  THE  SWAMPS.  147 


ague.  Perhaps  a rather  too  copious  indulgence  in 
blackberries,  which  abounded  here,  may  have  somewhat 
contributed  to  this  result.  Be  the  cause  what  it  may, 
the  attacks  were  repeated,  and  so  severely  that  I was 
confined  to  the  house,  when  S.,  his  brother-in-law,  and 
Uhl  rode  away  for  a buffalo  hunt.  I passed  two  tedious 
days  in  bed,  but  on  the  third,  feeling  better,  I took  my 
rifle,  and  lounged  along  the  banks  of  the  river,  to  try  and 
pick  up  a couple  of  young  wild  ducks, 'which  were  just 
in  season.  In  the  course  of  half  an  hour  I had  killed 
three,  and  was  on  my  way  home,  feeling  much  fatigued, 
when  immediately  before  me,  almost  under  my  feet,  I 
perceived  a mocassin  snake,  ready  to  attack  me,  with 
its  head  drawn  back,  and  its  tongue  darting  out.  These 
snakes  are  very  venomous;  so  jumping  back,  by  no 
means  leisurely,  I seized  a long  stick,  and  belabored 
him  with  it  till  he  could  do  no  harm.  This  deep  moist 
ground  is  full  of  venomous  snakes  ; but  it  is  very  rarely 
that  any  person  is  bitten,  because  they  are  shy,  and 
always  try  to  escape  when  any  one  approaches. 

On  my  return  I found  a fresh  bear’s  trail  very  near 
the  house.  Bruin  had  crossed  ^he  river  since  I had 
passed,  but  the  buffalo  hunters  had  taken  all  the  dogs ; 
and  I was  too  weak  to  follow  him  alone.  They  re- 
turned in  the  evening  without  having  seen  any  buffa- 
loes, though  they  had  crossed  their  trail.  Uhl  had  shot 
a deer  or  two,  which  was  all  their  booty. 

On  the  2nd  July  we  rode  off  to  a farm  belonging  to 
a Mr.  Dunn,  about  eleven  miles  off,  to  drive  home  some 
cattle  that  S.  had  bought.  We  did  not  arrive  till  dusk, 
and  found  Mr.  Dunn  at  home ; he  was  a fat  man  with 
a copper-colored  nose,  that  seemed  to  do  no  dishonor 


148 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


to  the  sign  before  his  door ; and  a bottle  of  whiskey  soon 
glittered  on  the  table.  S.  drank  no  spirits,  so  only  just 
tasted  it  once  : we  did  not  follow  his  example,  but  drank 
and  laughed  and  talked  till  late  in  the  night. 

I was  much  surprised  next  morning  by  the  view 
from  Dunn’s  house.  We  were  again  amongst  the  hills, 
the  house  standing  on  the  eastern  spur,  which  stretches 
out  towards  the  swamps  like  a peninsula.  The  thick 
white  fog,  through  which  not  a tree  was  visible,  north, 
south,  or  east,  looked  like  the  sea,  and  I was  prompted 
to  look  out  for  a sail ; the  glowing  red  ball  of  the  sun 
as  he  worked  his  way  through  it,  cast  a roseate  hue 
over  all.  As  the  sun  rose  higher  the  fog  began  to  dis- 
perse, and  the  tips  of  the  highest  trees  appeared.  As 
the  fog  vanished,  it  gave  place  to  a boundless  extent  of 
green,  unbroken  by  any  rise,  save  that  on  which  we 
stood.  I remained  for  a long  time  in  silent  admiration 
of  the  fascinating  sight. 

After  breakfast  we  collected  our  animals,  and  drove 
them  towards  home,  through  thorns,  creepers,  morasses, 
cane  brakes,  streams,  and  woods.  Driving  a number  of 
cattle,  which  have  never  before  been  under  the  hand  of 
man,  is  about  as  hard  work  as  one  can  imagine,  and  a 
man  who  never  swore  in  his  life  would  be  sure  to 
learn  it  then.  But  cattle-driving  was  now  our  business, 
and  we  followed  it  up  with  a will.  After  immense 
difficulty,  we  succeeded  in  bringing  them  all  within  the 
fence  in  our  prairie,  secured  them  with  the  lasso,  branded 
them  with  Saint’s  mark,  and  left  them  to  themselves  till 
the  morning.  At  dark  we  spread  my  buffalo  skin  on 
the  ground,  covered  ourselves  with  Uhl’s  blanket,  and 
were  soon  fast  asleep. 


OUR  FARMING  ARRANGEMENTS. 


149 


By  this  time  we  began  to  feel  a little  more  com- 
fortable, having  made  a couple  of  rough  benches,  and 
fixed  some  shelves  to  hold  our  things ; but  as  our 
utensils  were  not  yery  numerous,  cooking  was  one  of 
our  chief  difficulties.  There  was,  however,  no  want  of 
food,  for  Saint  supplied  so  plentifully. 

We  kept  in  all  the  calves  of  the  new  herd,  leaving 
the  cows  at  liberty,  as  they  never  strayed  very  far 
from  their  young.  We  were  also  obliged  to  confine 
some  of  the  wildest,  but  the  rest  soon  accustomed 
themselves  to  the  prairie,  particularly  as  we  sprinkled 
salt  before  them,  of  which  they  are  passionately  fond. 
Indeed  we  gave  it  to  all  the  cattle  every  evening,  which 
kept  them  from  straying  far  away.  In  the  daytime 
we  ranged  the  woods  with  our  rifles. 

13* 


CHAPTER  VL 


a farmer’s  life  in  the  woods. 

(continued.) 

My  comrade  attacked  by  ague  — Removal  to  a new  locality  — Snakes 
in  the  woods  — Grinding  corn  — “ Lying  ” Bahrens  — Repeated 
attacks  of  ague  — Sassafras  tree/ — “ An  epileptic  breakfast  ” — 
Night  in  the  forest  — The  panther  — Visit  to  Hilger — Shooting 
by  torchlight  — A distillery  — A backwoods  politician  — Clear- 
ings— New  farm  — Illness,  and  want  of  medical  aid  — Negro 
children  — T wo  American  speculators  — Bad  characters  in  Ar- 
kansas— Removal  to  a new  farm  at  Oiltrove  bottom  — White 
river  — A gallant  buffalo  hunter  — Home-sickness  — Unhealthy 
swamps  — Bear-hunting  in  companies. 

On  the  8th  of  July,  I had  killed  a fawn.  The  flesh 
was  very  delicate,  and  we  had  made  a hearty  feast  on 
it,  when  Uhl  complained  of  headache  and  sickness, 
and  though  he  had  frequently  boasted  of  his  sound 
constitution,  and  maintained  that  he  should  never  be 
ill,  he  began  to  feel  some  doubts  on  the  subject.  Next 
day  he  was  very  ill,  and  on  the  third,  about  noon,  his 
sickness  declared  itself  as  a regular  attack  of  ague.  I 
did  all  I could  to  relieve  him,  but  in  our  loneliness  we 
had  little  to  comfort  an  invalid.  Towards  evening  he 
got  better,  and  longed  for  some  blackberries.  I took 
a tin  dish,  and  went  to  a place  about  eighty  paces 
from  our  house,  where  they  grew  in  quantities ; there 
had  formerly  been  a field  here,  and  the  thorns  grew 
thick  about  the  overthrown  trees.  I was  plucking 
(150) 


A WOLF WE  SHIFT  OUR  QUARTERS.  151 

some  of  the  ripest  berries  from  one  of  the  largest 
bushes,  in  which  I had  once  or  twice  heard  something 
move ; but  as  all  the  cows  and  calves  were  near  me, 
and  I supposed  it  proceeded  from  some  of  them,  I had 
not  taken  much  notice  of  the  fact,  when  suddenly  the 
bush  opened,  and  a large,  powerful  wolf  walked  delib- 
erately forth ; he  looked  steadily  at  me,  and  seemed 
inclined  to  declare  war.  I raised  my  foot  to  give  him 
a kick  with  my  heavy  fisherman’s  boot,  for  I had  no 
weapon;  but  he  seemed  to  think  better  of  it,  and 
walked  away  slowly  towards  the  jungle.  I hastened 
to  the  house,  seized  my  rifle,  and  followed  his  trail ; 
but  too  late,  for  he  had  taken  to  flight. 

July  11th.  Uhl  was  so  far  recovered  as  to  be  able  to 
go  to  Saint’s,  where  he  could  receive  better  care,  and 
for  some  time  I was  alone  in  my  hermitage.  I felt 
very  comfortable,  having  no  cares  or  troubles,  paid 
attention  to  my  charge,  supplied  them  plentifully  with 
salt,  and  constantly  went  out  shooting,  bringing  home 
young  turkeys,  which  were  just  large  enough  to  be 
eaten.  In  the  evening,  when  all  was  still,  I sat  in  front 
of  the  house,  by  a blazing  fire,  playing  my  zither,  and 
was  very  happy  without  seeing  a human  face. 

On  July  17th  I went  to  Saint’s  to  see  Uhl,  and  to  get 
some  flour  and  coffee.  Uhl  was  better,  and  free  from 
fever,  but  weak.  I did  not  return,  as  Saint  required 
my  assistance.  Saint  then  proposed  that,  for  the  summer 
and  autumn,  we  should  move  further  west,  and  pitch 
our  camp  near  Brushy  lake,  about  six  miles  from 
Saint’s,  where  there  was  better  pasture,  so  that  when 
once  the  cattle  had  been  driven  there,  they  would  not 
be  likely  to  stray.  I was  pleased  with  the  plan,  as 


152 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


there  was  more  game  there,  and  we  only  waited  UhFs 
recovery  to  put  it  in  execution. 

On  July  22nd  Uhl  felt  tolerably  well,  so  we  started  in 
company  with  a long  Kentuckyman,  who  happened  to 
be  there,  to  have  a look  at  the  country,  and  to  fix  on  a 
place  for  our  tent.  As  it  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when 
we  started,  it  was  almost  dark  when  we  arrived.  We 
were  deceived  in  our  expectations  of  finding  game,  and 
had  to  go  hungry  to  sleep,  having  brought  no  pro- 
visions with  us,  except  a morsel  of  bread  and  a couple 
of  onions.  We  had  made  sure  of  killing  a deer  before 
dark,  but  had  reckoned  without  our  host.  It  was  <a 
beautiful  night,  mosquitoes  excepted ; we  had  nothing 
to  wish  for  beyond  a good  supper.  A bright  fire  was 
soon  blazing  up,  for  notwithstanding  the  heat  of  the 
days  the  nights  were  cold. 

Our  American  friend,  Jim  by  name,  was  very  much 
afraid  of  snakes,  which  abounded  in  this  neighborhood. 
He  could  not  rest  quiet,  and  repeated  a number  of 
stories  of  this  person  or  that  having  been  bitten  by 
snakes  in  the  night.  I let  him  talk  on,  while  I made 
preparations  to  go  to  sleep. 

Half  asleep,  I still  heard  the  snake  stories,  till,  over- 
powered by  fatigue,  Morpheus  took  me  softly  in  his 
arms ; but  there  were  snakes  hanging  about  me,  and 
some  of  them  grew  to  an  immense  size,  till  at  last  it 
seemed  as  if  a very  wicked-looking  one  came  straight 
towards  me,  crawled  under  my  left  knee,  and  there 
coiled  himself  down  — yet  he  kept  fidgeting  as  if  he 
could  not  make  himself  quite  comfortable.  I awoke, 
and  lay  for  a moment  quite  still ; Jim  was  yet  telling 
liis  snake  stories  to  Uhl,  who  was  listening  attentively, 


FALSE  ALARM  — SQUIRREL  FOR  BREAKFAST.  153 

when  I positively  felt  something  move  under  my  knee, 
and  hearing  of  nothing  else,  thinking  of  nothing  else, 
of  course  I supposed  it  must  be  a snake.  I dared  not 
raise  myself  slowly  for  fear  of  pressing  on  the  snake, 
when  he  would  certainly  have  bitten  me.  I sprang  up 
as  quickly  as  I could,  and  at  once  burst  away  from  my 
couch : my  two  comrades,  with  their  brains  full  of  all 
sorts  of  monsters,  no  sooner  saw  me  start  up  so  sud- 
denly, than  they  followed  my  example,  as  if  they  had 
been  fired  from  a gun,  and  we  looked  at  each  other  in 
dismay. 

I examined  the  place  where  I supposed  the  snake  to 
be,  and  found  a little  twig  of  about  eight  or  nine  inches 
growing  out  of  the  ground,  and  which  had  been  under 
my  knee.  We  all  laughed  heartily  at  our  fright,  and 
were  soon  fast  asleep. 

Our  appetites  next  morning  were  very  sharp.  In 
the  course  of  a couple  of  hours  Jim  shot  a squirrel, 
which  afforded  but  a meagre  breakfast  for  three  people. 
After  breakfast  we  tried  again,  and  with  better  success 
on  my  part,  for,  happening  to  espy  a deer  in  the  jungle, 
I knocked  him  over,  and  we  returned  to  S.’s  well  laden 
with  venison.  Although  we  had  found  several  spots 
suitable  for  our  tent,  we  had  not  fixed  on  any  one  in 
particular,  and  we  were  well  pleased  with  the  place 
altogether,  notwithstanding  snakes  and  mosquitoes. 

Hitherto  we  had  always  eaten  maize  bread,  because, 
although  S.  could  grind  wheat,  he  had  no  means  of 
bolting  it ; and  as  it  was  stacked  in  the  field  he  decided 
on  sending  it  to  a mill  about  fifteen  miles  distant.  The 
wheat  was  in  sheaves,  but  there  was  neither  bam  nor 
thrashing  floor,  neither  flail  nor  winnowing  machine. 


154 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


nothing  to  clean  it  from  the  straw  ; however,  we  set  to 
work  Arkansas  fashion.  The  weather  was  bright  and 
dry,  the  road  before  the  door  as  hard  as  a stone,  but 
dusty : a space  about  thirty  feet  in  diameter  was  fenced 
in,  and  swept  as  clean  as  possible ; the  sheaves  were 
unbound  and  laid  in  a circle,  every  two  sheaves  with 
their  ears  together,  one  with  the  straw  to  the  centre, 
the  other  with  the  straw  outwards  ; six  horses  were 
mounted,  and  ridden  round  and  round,  while  two  men 
kept  shaking  down  fresh  corn ; when  it  had  been  well 
trodden  out,  it  had  to  be  sifted. 

I had  probably  worked  rather  too  hard,  caught 
another  attack  of  ague,  and  was  obliged  to  lie  down 
till  evening,  when  I felt  somewhat  better.  This  even- 
ing we  were  visited  by  a friend  of  S.’s,  or  neighbor, 
as  he  called  himself,  though  living  at  a distance  of 
twenty-five  miles ; but  there  was  neither  house  nor 
road  between  the  two.  He  was  called  Jim  Bahrens, 
but  S.  whispered  to  me  that  he  was  nicknamed  “ lying 
Bahrens,”  and  indeed  Munchausen  would  have  been 
obliged  to  hide  his  face  before  him.  He  was  very 
talkative  and  amusing ; amongst  other  things,  he  told 
us  that  he  had  but  a small  tract  of  land,  but  that  it 
was  the  best  and  most  fertile  in  the  whole  world ; that 
he  could  grow  every  thing  on  it,  except  corn  beans  (the 
common  garden  bean),  because  the  corn  grows  so  fast, 
that  it  drags  the  beans  out  of  the  earth.  He  invited 
us  to  come  and  see  him,  telling  us  that  he  could  kill 
as  much  game  in  a day  as  would  weigh  1000  pounds 
for  that  he  lived  among  large  herds  both  of  buffaloes 
and  deer.  We  promised  to  come,  and  see  all  these 
wonders. 


PRIMITIVE  MODE  OF  WINNOWING  CORN.  155 


On  the  1st  of  August,  Uhl  told  me  that  he  wished 
to  go,  being  tired  of  this  sort  of  life ; and,  indeed,  I 
must  allow  that  I myself  was  rather  sick  of  it.  I was 
so  weak  that  I could  hardly  crawl,  and  saw  so  many 
sickly  faces  around  me,  that  I could  not  try  to  persuade 
him  to  remain.  We  divided  our  property,  for  hitherto 
we  had  had  all  things  in  common,  and  on  the  same  day 
he  marched  off  to  the  west.  I had  no  time  to  indulge 
in  sorrowful  thoughts,  for  the  ague  attacked  me  again ; 
having  brought  some  medicine  with  me  from  Cincin- 
nati, I took  an  emetic,  and  then  a dose  of  quinine, 
which  succeeded  in  subduing  it. 

On  August  3rd,  I felt  better,  and  decided  in  the  after- 
noon on  driving  to  the  mill ; but  the  grain  had  first  to 
be  cleaned.  This,  without  a machine,  was  rather  a 
difficult  matter,  but  the  sharp  Americans  know  how 
to  manage  it.  Two  of  the  stoutest  fellows  hold  a 
blanket  by  the  four  corners ; a third  stands  on  a chair 
with  a sieve  full  of  grain,  which  he  shakes,  not  too  fast, 
nor  too  long  at  a time,  while  the  two  with  the  blanket 
make  as  much  wind  as  they  can,  by  working  it  up  and 
down ; the  chaff  is  blown  away,  while  the  wheat  falls 
to  the  ground,  and  is  at  once  gathered  into  the  sack, 
though  not  quite  so  clean  as  it  would  be  with  our 
system. 

By  two  o’clock  we  were  able  to  start,  the  cart  being 
drawn  by  oxen,  and,  owing  to  their  slow  discreet  pace, 
it  was  pitch  dark  when  we  arrived  at  the  mill.  At  so 
late  an  hour  grinding  was  out  of  the  question;  we 
lighted  our  fire,  broiled  our  supper,  and  laid  down  in 
the  wagon  to  sleep  till  daylight.  But  the  night  was 
so  beautiful,  the  stars  shining  so  mildly  down  upon  us, 


156 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  PAR  WEST. 


the  wind  blowing  so  soft  and  warm  through  the  green 
branches,  that  we  could  not  sleep,  but  went  on  talking. 
Both  my  companions  were  Americans,  one  of  them  a 
strict  Methodist,  and  there  was  nothing  more  natural 
than  that  we  should  talk  of  the  stars,  then  of  heaven, 
then  of  religion ; and  as  we  entertained  very  different 
views,  our  conversation  degenerated  into  a hot  dispute, 
which  was  put  an  end  to  about  midnight  by  a heavy 
shower  of  rain,  that  forced  us  to  seek  shelter  for  our- 
selves and  our  sacks. 

Next  day  we  began  to  grind,  and  slow  work  it  was, 
for  we  had  to  turn  the  mill  with  our  own  oxen,  who 
had  no  idea  of  inconveniencing  themselves  ; however, 
we  managed  to  reach  home  the  same  night.  The 
season  was  now  far  enough  advanced  for  the  leaves  of 
Indian  corn  to  be  stripped  and  laid  up  as  fodder  for 
the  winter.  This  plant,  in  the  southern  States,  will 
grow  to  a height  of  eleven  or  twelve  feet,  and  often  ' 
bears  three  cobs : the  white  sort  is  the  best  for  bread, 
the  yellow,  containing  more  sugar,  is  best  for  fodder 
and  for  whiskey. 

On  the  15th  of  August  I received  a letter  from  Uhl, 
telling  me  that  he  was  with  my  old  acquaintance,  the 
Rlienish-Bavarian,  at  Little  Red  river,  and  that  he  was 
going  to  join  Turowski  in  farming.  I had  too  lively  a 
remembrance  of  the  kindness  of  old  Hilger  not  to  take 
a walk  to  visit  him ; therefore,  as  soon  as  our  fodder 
was  all  in,  I prepared  for  my  journey,  and  early  on  the 
20th  of  August  I shouldered  my  rifle,  and,  with  one  of 
S.’s  dogs  by  my  side,  set  off  in  the  hottest  season  of  the 
year  through  the  dried  swamp.  The  atmosphere  was 
sultry  in  the  extreme,  but  by  evening  I had  reached 


“ OILTROVE  BOTTOM  ” PAWPAW  TREES.  157 


the  bank  of  White  river,  a distance  of  thirty-two  miles, 
where  I passed  the  night. 

I was  ferried  across  at  daybreak,  and  had  forty 
miles  to  go  to  reach  the  Little  Red  river.  The  south 
bank  of  the  White  is  one  of  the  most  fertile  in 
America,  on  which  account  it  rejoices  in  the  name  of 
“ Oiltrove  bottom.”  Some  say  that  the  soil  is  better 
than  that  of  the  American  bottom  opposite  St.  Louis ; 
and  this  is  my  opinion,  having  seen  from  sixty  to 
seventy  bushels  of  maize  to  the  acre,  and  pumpkins 
larger  than  a man  can  lift.  Trees  grow  to  an  enormous 
size,  some  of  the  trunks  of  the  sassafras  trees  measuring 
from  five  to  six  feet  in  diameter;  pawpaw  trees  are 
also  very  numerous.  This  last  is  a small  tree  bearing 
a fruit  about  four  or  five  inches  long,  and  two  to  two 
and  a half  inches  thick,  having  a soft  sweetish  pulp, 
with  numbers  of  oily  kernels.  Generally  speaking, 
the  Americans  do  not  value  it  much,  though  some  are 
very  fond  of  it.  It  was  not  at  all  to  my  taste ; its 
bark  is  very  tough,  and  is  useful  for  a variety  of 
purposes,  amongst  others  for  ropes.  The  valley  of  the 
White  river  is  full  of  these  trees,  and  of  the  thick 
American  canes,  or  reeds,  which  form  impenetrable 
thickets,  and  are  the  favorite  haunts  of  bears.  Just 
now  this  fruit  was  quite  out  of  favor,  and  even  the 
pigs  would  no  longer  eat  it,  when  a distiller  of  the 
name  of  Magnus  tried  its  qualities,  and  extracted  such 
a superior  spirit  from  it,  that  he  declared  he  would 
not  sell  a drop  of  it,  but  keep  it  all  for  his  own 
drinking. 

Not  to  lose  time,  I had  set  off  in  the  morning 
without  breakfast,  and  by  the  time  I had  walked  six 
14 


158 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


miles  had  a very  respectable  appetite.  Looking  out 
for  a house,  I espied  one  about  an  hundred  paces  from 
the  path.  The  door  was  open,  and  the  family  were  just 
sitting  down  to  breakfast;  nothing  better  could  be 
wished  for.  I sprang  over  the  fence,  and  asked  a stout 
pale  man  if  I could  have  something  to  eat  by  paying  for  it ; 
on  receiving  the  expected  answer  I joined  the  company. 
Maize  bread,  coffee,  and  bacon,  the  usual  breakfast  in 
this  part  of  the  world,  was  spread  out  on  the  table,  and  I 
was  preparing  to  set  to  with  a will,  when  the  man 
sitting  by  my  side,  after  looking  at  me  with  a mourn- 
ful expression,  asked  if  I had  ever  in  my  life  seen  a 
man  who  was  subject  to  epilepsy.  Now  such  a ques- 
tion could  be  nowhere  more  out  of  place  than  when 
addressed  to  a hungry  man  sitting  down  to  a good 
breakfast,  so  I answered  shortly,  “ Yes,  sir.”  ‘‘Well 
then,”  said  he,  “don’t  be  surprised  if  you  see  me 
attacked  before  breakfast  is  over,  for  at  times  it  comes 
on  very  suddenly.”  If  any  one  had  told  me  that  the 
meat  on  the  table,  instead  of  good  pork,  was  a piece 
of  salted  negro,  it  could  not  have  taken  away  my 
appetite  more  effectually  than  did  this  grave  announce- 
ment. I looked  at  the  man  in  astonishment : he  was 
very  pale,  and  looked  serious,  and  not  at  all  given  to 
joking.  I looked  at  his  wife,  who  was  pale  almost  to 
transparency : I looked  at  the  children,  who  were  also 
deadly  pale,  but  more  dirty  than  transparent.  I 
gulped  down  the  cup  of  coffee  in  despair,  gave  the 
dog,  who  probably  had  not  heard  the  observation,  or 
cared  nothing  for  it,  the  bread  off  my  plate,  which  he 
eagerly  took,  paid  my  quarter  dollar,  the  usual  price 
for  a breakfast,  and  continued  my  journey. 


“not  at  home”— -hard  fare.  159 

For  some  time  I kept  the  broad  road  towards  Bates- 
ville,  then  struck  off  to  the  left  through  the  forest,  and, 
going  tolerably  fast,  arrived  before  sunset  at  the  plan- 
tation of  a widow  named  Pace,  where  I intended  to 
pass  the  night,  having  still  ten  miles  to  go  to  Little  Bed 
river,  and  no  other  house  near  the  path.  The  roof 
reflected  the  last  beams  of  the  setting  sun  ; my 
stomach,  which  had  received  nothing  but  the  coffee 
since  the  previous  evening,  was  beginning  to  rejoice, 
when  we  both  found  ourselves  wofully  disappointed  — - 
the  lady  was  not  at  home.  The  slaves  dared  not  admit 
any  stranger  to  sleep  there.  I should  not  have  cared 
about  a roof  to  sleep  under,  for  the  nights  were  fine 
and  warm,  if  only  I could  have  obtained  something  to 
eat ; but  this  could  not  be,  and  I was  obliged  to  employ 
the  fine  warm  night  in  walking  on  to  the  place  of  my 
destination. 

After  the  sun  had  gone  down,  my  light-colored, 
well-trodden  path  was  illuminated  by  the  nearly  full 
moon,  for  I had  left  the  darker  lowlands  some  hours 
ago,  and  was  traversing  dry,  but  not  very  fruitful,  hills, 
through  the  midst  of  fir-trees.  About  two  miles  short 
of  the  river,  I gained  the  crest  of  the  hills  that  divide 
the  waters  of  the  White  and  Little  Red  rivers,  just  as 
the  moon  was  setting,  and  my  limbs  felt  as  if  they 
were  hung  with  lead.  I had  gone  seventy  miles  since 
the  previous  morning  without  tasting  a regular  meal, 
which  was  more  than  flesh  and  blood  could  bear  for 
any  length  of  time,  and  at  last  I was  so  overcome  by 
fatigue  that  I sank  down  exhausted  under  a tree  with- 
out even  lighting  a fire.  The  poor  dog  lay  by  my  side, 
resting  his  head  on  my  arm.  I might  have  slept  about 


160 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


three  hours,  for  the  first  gleam  of  approaching  day 
was  lighting  up  the  eastern  sky,  when  I was  awakened 
by  the  loud,  angry  bark  of  the  dog.  I jumped  up,  rifle 
in  hand,  but  could  see  nothing  and  hear  nothing  : I 
cheered  on  the  dog,  but  in  vain : he  would  not  move 
from  my  side,  and  only  barked  louder  and  louder.  I 
fancied  he  might  have  scented  wolves,  and  was  about 
to  he  down  again,  when  I distinctly  heard  a rustling 
in  the  bush,  although  there  was  not  a breath  of  wind. 
I approached  the  place  cautiously  with  both  barrels 
cocked,  but  could  discover  nothing ; and  as  it  was  still 
dark,  and  no  trail  perceptible,  I could  do  no  more,  so 
lay  down  again  for  another  short  sleep,  when  I sud- 
denly heard  the  short  piercing  roar  of  a panther,  which 
those  who  have  once  heard  never  forget.  My  dog  an- 
swered it  with  a slight  whimper,  and  crept  closer  to 
my  side.  I now  knew  the  character  of  my  nightly 
visitor ; and  tolerably  sure  that,  once  frightened  away, 
he  would  be  in  no  hurry  to  return,  I was  soon  asleep, 
and  remained  so  till  awakened  by  the  cold  air  which 
always  precedes  the  rising  sun. 

As  beautiful  a panorama  as  I had  ever  beheld  lay 
spread  out  before  me.  A sea  of  forest  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach,  in  every  shade  of  color,  from  the 
darkest  green  to  light  blue  — the  Little  Red  river 
winding  through  the  midst  of  it,  while  a light  downy 
mist  hung  about  the  tips  of  the  trees  on  its  banks.  To 
the  west  and  south-west,  the  distant  mountains  cut 
sharply  in  a mass  of  blue  against  the  lighter  morning 
sky.  Hills  overgrown  with  pines  rose  above  the 
darker  extent  of  oak,  like  islands  floating  in  a deep 
green  sea,  as  the  sun’s  rays  were  reflected  from  the 


A PANTHER  — VISIT  TO  HILGER. 


161 


dewy  leaves.  Light  vapor  rising  here  and  there  from 
the  valleys,  curling  over  the  forest,  and  vanishing  into 
air,  revealed  the  site  of  human  habitations  hidden  in 
the  woods.  I sat  long,  lost  in  contemplation  of  the 
lovely  scene,  and  again  the  question  pressed  itself  upon 
me  — “ Why  must  I enjoy  it  alone  ? ” Then  I remem- 
bered my  visitor  of  the  past  night,  and,  shaking  off  all 
mournful  thoughts,  looked  out  for  the  trail ; and  there, 
hardly  twenty  paces  from  my  bivouac,  were  the  marks 
of  the  large  round  paws  of  the  beast  impressed  in  the 
loose  sand.  He  had  probably  tried  to  creep  up  to  me 
without  being  discovered,  but  the  dog  had  spoiled  his 
sport. 

Refreshed  by  sleep,  I hastened  down  the  hill,  found 
a canoe,  which  took  me  over  the  river,  and  soon  the 
well-known  friendly  abode  of  the  Rhenish-Bavarian 
shone  invitingly  before  me.  It  seemed  almost  as  if  it 
was  my  home,  from  which  I had  been  long,  long  absent, 
and  that  all  its  dear  inmates  would  rush  joyfully  for- 
ward to  embrace  me.  Alas  for  our  dreams  ! 

Hilger  and  his  wife  welcomed  me  with  a hearty 
shake  of  the  hand.  I soon  felt  myself  at  home  and 
happy  with  these  kind  people,  and  I was  not  a little 
delighted  with  the  breakfast,  which  quickly  adorned 
the  table,  and  which  did  not  taste  amiss  after  my  long 
fast. 

Hilger  had  made  vast  improvements  in  his  condition 
since  I was  here  two  years  ago.  He  had  bought  the  land, 
had  a pair  of  horses,  several  head  of  cattle  and  pigs,  and 
lived  happy  and  independent  in  the  circle  of  his  family, 
which,  in  the  mean  time  had  been  increased  by  the 
birth  of  a little  prince.  His  two  sons,  of  fifteen  and 
14  * 


1G2 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


thirteen,  were  nice  lads,  and  worked  hard  with  their 
father  to  make  their  way  in  the  world  happily  and 
honestly. 

Uhl  came  in  in  the  afternoon  from  a place  belonging 
to  Yon  G.,  about  two  miles  off.  He  looked  very  pale 
and  wretched,  still  suffering  severely  from  ague.  I was 
delighted  to  pass  a short  time  here  among  Germans, 
where  I could  speak  my  mother-tongue  to  my  heart’s 
content,  and  live  like  a man.  Peaches  and  watermelons 
grow  here  in  great  abundance,  and  were  a treat  which  I 
had  long  been  deprived  of. 

On  the  second  day  I went  down  the  river  to  Yon 
G.’s,  who  kept  the  ferry,  and  in  whose  house  I had 
parsed  the  night  two  years  ago,  on  my  first  arrival. 
He  received  me  kindly  and  hospitably.-  He  was  a 
keen  sportsman  and  capital  shot,  and  was  extremely 
lucky  in  shooting  by  torchlight,  a practice  in  which  he 
had  acquired  such  perfection  as  often  to  shoot  three  or 
four  deer  in  a night.  On  one  night  when  I went  out 
with  him,  he  shot  a noble  buck,  hitting  him  right  in 
the  heart,  although  he  could  not  see  his  body,  and 
could  only  judge  of  his  position  by  the  light  reflected 
from  his  eyes,  and  by  their  movement.  I shall 
describe  this  sort  of  shooting  more  particularly  here- 
after. I also  attempted  it,  but  without  success,  from 
want  of  practice,  having  yet  to  learn  all  the  fine 
touches.  We  saw  the  eyes  of  three  wolves,  but  they 
were  frightened  by  the  fire,  and  would  not  come 
near  us. 

My  health  was  still  far  from  good ; and  being  one 
day  wet  through  by  a sudden  shower,  I was  again 
attacked  by  ague,  and  obliged  to  lie  fallow  for  a couple 


A GREAT  POLITICAL  DISCUSSIOH. 


163 


of  days.  As  my  illness  came  on  at  Yon  G.’s,  he 
kindly  asked  me  to  remain  with  him  till  I was  better. 
I gratefully  accepted  the  invitation,  and  recovered  in  a 
few  days,  when  I took  a hearty  farewell  of  all  my  kind 
friends  here,  and  returned  to  my  marshes. 

On  the  fourth  of  September  I crossed  White  river, 
and  went  on  to  Little  Cash  river,  passing  a distillery, 
where  they  made  maize  whiskey,  but  sold  very  little 
of  it,  as  the  three  young  men,  who  carried  on  business 
in  company,  drank  most  of  it  themselves. 

The  Cash  was  so  shallow  that  I crossed  it  along  a 
fallen  tree,  and,  as  it  began  to  rain,  I stopped  for  the 
night  at  the  house  of  a man  named  Harriot.  We  had 
finished  our  simple  supper,  and  were  sitting  com- 
fortably by  a blazing  fire,  which  was  crackling  up  the 
chimney,  when  my  host,  looking  at  me  sideways, 
cleared  his  throat,  and  brought  his  chair  a little  nearer 
to  mine,  then  giving  the  quid  of  tobacco  in  his  cheek 
an  extra  turn,  put  to  me  the  unexpected  question  — 
“ How’s  the  king  of  Spain?”  I was  rather  disconcerted 
at  first,  and  thought  he  wanted  to  make  fun  of  me,  but 
when  I saw  by  his  countenance,  that  he  was  in  down- 
right earnest,  I replied  gravely,  that  according  to  the 
last  accounts  which  I had  received  His  Majesty  -was 
suffering  from  a severe  cold ; — whereupon  he  expressed 
his  sincere  regret,  and  then  inquired  after  all  the  other 
crowned  heads  in  Europe.  As  we  proceeded  in  our 
conversation,  I found  that  by  the  king  of  Spain  he 
meant  Gustavus  Adolphus : he  placed  F rancis  the 
Second  of  Austria  on  the  throne  of  France ; England 
was  ruled  by  Constantine  the  Great ; and  Germany 
was  presented  to  Louis  Philippe.  I was  much  amused 


164 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


with  his  wild  fantasies.  In  the  meanwhile  he  kept 
paying  earnest  devotion  to  the  whiskey  bottle,  offering 
it  to  me  at  the  same  time.  I took  a little  at  first,  but 
latterly  only  put  it  to  my  lips  for  show.  The  nearer 
we  approached  the  bottom  of  the  bottle,  the  wilder 
danced  their  majesties  across  the  magic  lantern  of  his 
imagination.  And  as  we  were  taking  into  considera- 
tion the  case  of  Russia,  which,  by  our  united  endea- 
vors, had  become  a republic,  his  head  began  to  nod, 
and  his  chin  had  hardly  touched  his  breast  when  he 
began  to  snore.  His  wife,  a simple  soul,  who  had  been 
brought  up  in  the  woods,  had  listened  to  us  with  aston- 
ishment, and  was  still  holding  her  mouth  open  as  I 
turned  to  seek  my  bed. 

My  dreams  transported  me  to  my  native  land  — not 
to  the  royal  palaces  I had  just  left,  but  to  my  home, 
with  its  much-loved  forms.  On  the  5th  of  September 
I arrived  again  at  Saint’s,  and  indulged  my  body  with 
some  necessary  repose,  shattered  as  it  was  by  so  many 
attacks  of  the  ague.  On  the  9th,  Saint  commenced  his 
Indian  corn  harvest,  which  lasted  till  the  11th,  and  I 
gave  my  assistance.  The  cobs  were  simply  broken 
away  from  the  stems,  and  cast  into  a cart  which 
carried  them  to  the  building  prepared  to  receive  them. 
When  this  work  was  done,  we  began  another  — namely, 
to  clear  about  half  an  acre  more  land,  and  sow  it  with 
turnips. 

The  western  settlers,  and  particularly  those  in  the 
south-western  states,  are  not  very  fond  of  hard  work ; 
in  those  wild  regions  they  prefer  rearing  cattle  and 
shooting,  to  agriculture,  and  are  loth  to  undertake 
the  hard  work  of  felling  trees  and  clearing  land.  To 


CLEARING  LAND  FOR  FIELDS. 


Ido 


make  the  labor  as  light  as  possible,  yet  still  to  increase 
their  fields,  they  generally  clear  a small  space  every 
autumn,  and  ploughing  it  very  slightly,  sow  it  with  tur- 
nips, which  answer  best  for  new  ground.  Next  year  it 
is  fenced  in  and  added  to  the  field. 

When  about  to  make  a clearing,  the  American  looks 
out  for  the  largest  and  straightest  oaks,  which  he  fells, 
and  splits  into  poles,  from  ten  to  twelve  feet  long,  for 
fencing.  When  he  thinks  he  has  enough  for  this  pur- 
pose, the  rest  is  cut  up  and  piled ; next,  the  trees 
which  have  a diameter  of  eighteen  inches  and  under, 
are  felled,  at  about  half  a yard  from  the  ground,  and 
cut  into  lengths,  while  the  larger  trees  are  girdled  all 
round  with  the  axe,  and  very  soon  die.  The  shrubs 
and  bushes  are  then  rooted  up  with  a heavy  hoe,  and, 
with  the  help  of  the  neighbors  who  are  invited  for 
the  purpose,  the  whole,  except  the  poles  for  the  fence, 
is  rolled  into  a heap  and  set  on  fire. 

As  soon  as  the  land  is  cleared  of  all  that  can  be 
easily  removed  it  is  fenced  in  and  ploughed.  This  last 
work  is  very  severe,  and  gives  the  ploughman  and 
cattle  many  a rough  shake,  as  the  ploughshare,  catching 
in  the  roots,  has  constantly  to  be  lifted  out  of  the 
ground,  or  to  be  moved  out  of  the  way  of  the  standing 
stumps.  These  stumps  give  the  fields  a very  extraor- 
dinary appearance ; it  takes  from  six  to  ten  years  before 
they  rot  away  entirely.  It  sometimes  happens  that  the 
trees  killed  by  girdling  are  blown  down  amongst  the 
growing  crops,  and  the  settler  has  a great  deal  of 
trouble  in  removing  them. 

The  land  about  Saint’s  farm,  when  not  inundated, 
was  very  fertile,  and  required  little  labor.  It  produced 


166 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


splendid  oaks,  black  and  white  hickory,  and  sassafras, 
which  last,  though  covering  the  land  with  bushes, 
often  grows  to  a large  tree.  Creepers  of  all  sorts 
abounded  in  the  woods,  amongst  which  were  three 
sorts  of  wild  vines,  the  first  producing  a purple  summer 
grape,  which  ripens  in  July,  and  resembles  the  culti- 
vated grape,  except  in  being  smaller  and  somewhat 
sour;  the  second,  winter  grapes,  also  dark,  and  not 
ripe  till  they  have  been  touched  by  the  frost,  — properly 
speaking  it  is  not  a grape,  and  the  berry  is  more  like  a 
currant ; last  and  best  are  the  muscadines.  These  do  not 
grow  in  bunches,  but  more  like  cherries,  four  or  five  on 
a stem ; they  are  purple,  with  a thick  skin,  and  a very 
agreeable  taste,  but  if  indulged  in  too  freely,  they  are 
said  to  produce  ague,  an  opinion  in  which  I agree. 
Indeed,  some  of  my  attacks  must  be  laid  to  their 
account  ; quantities  of  muscadines  grew  where  we 
were  at  work,  and  I ate  a great  many  of  them.  They 
ripen  in  September,  and  when  they  fall,  they  are 
greedily  sought  for  by  pigs,  bears,  opossums,  raccoons, 
and  turkeys. 

As  we  had  had  hard  work  for  some  days,  I resolved 
on  taking  a holiday,  and  riding  to  the  gunsmith’s,  about 
twelve  miles  off,  to  get  some  repairs  to  my  rifle.  When 
I awoke  in  the  morning,  I had  a dreadful  head-ache, 
but  I got  up,  and  mounted  the  horse,  hoping  to  drive 
away  the  pain  with  the  fresh  morning  air.  I had 
hardly  gone  a mile,  when  I was  seized  with  such  a 
giddiness,  that  I could  with  difficulty  keep  my  seat, 
I galloped  back  as  fast  as  possible,  and  crept  shivering 
under  my  buffalo-skin,  but  the  ague  crept  in  with  me 
and  kept  me  there  all  that  day  and  night.  The  next 


AGUE PROMPT  BURIAL  IN  THE  SWAMPS.  167 


morning  I was  so  much  worse,  that  I thought  my  last 
hour  was  approaching.  I took  one  of  the  emetics  I 
had  brought  with  me  from  Cincinnati,  but  without  effect ; 
the  fever  changed  from  cold  to  hot,  and  increased 
every  hour.  On  the  nights  of  the  16th  and  17  th  of 
September,  I was  delirious ; what  I may  have  said  I 
know  not,  as  they  told  me  that  I spoke  German. 

Saint  could  not  procure  a doctor.  The  nearest  lived 
twenty  miles  off,  and  was  seldom  at  home : this  prob- 
ably saved  my  life,  for  had  I fallen  into  the  hands  of 
one  of  these  American  quacks,  I might  have  prepared 
for  my  last  journey.  Saint  happened  to  have  some  pills 
in  the  house,  made  by  J.  Sappington,  and  gave  me  one. 
Whether  it  was  from  the  pill,  or  my  own  good  constitu- 
tion, I was  better  on  the  18th,  and  could  move  about 
the  house,  and  enjoy  a little  food,  after  my  four  days’ 
fast ; I was  very  weak  for  a long  time.  I must  ever 
remember  with  gratitude  the  kind  interest  with  which 
these  worthy  Americans  attended  and  nursed  the  poor 
stranger. 

It  was  by  no  means  agreeable  to  remain  ill  in  the 
swamps,  having  shortly  before  heard  accounts  of  burials, 
which  left  it  out  of  all  doubt  that  some  of  the  poor 
creatures  supposed  to  be  dead  had  been  buried  alive. 
Mrs.  S.  spoke  of  one  case  in  particular,  on  the  St.  Fran- 
cis river,  where  the  ground  was  so  wet  and  swampy, 
that  the  man’s  comrades,  for  they  were  out  on  a shoot- 
ing excursion,  put  the  body  into  a canoe,  and  brought  it 
down  to  the  place  where  the  Saints  then  lived,  and 
where  the  land  was  dry.  On  account  of  the  greater 
heat  in  the  southern  States,  they  do  not  stand  on  so 
much  ceremony  with  a dead  body,  as  is  the  case  in  the 


168 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


north : so,  as  soon  as  they  could  after  landing,  they 
placed  it  in  a grave,  which  they  dug  with  the  assistance 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  place.  Mrs.  S.  assured  me 
that  she  had  never  seen  such  a corpse.  His  limbs  were 
quite  pliant,  and  almost  warm,  and  his  cheeks  still  red ; 
but  the  cold  earth  soon  covered  him,  and  nothing  was 
ever  said  on  the  subject. 

By  the  29th  September  I was  pretty  well  again,  and 
helped  S.  to  get  in  the  corn  from  the  more  distant  field ; 
but  as  it  came  on  to  rain,  I was  none  the  better  for  it. 
On  the  first  October  an  old  man  from  Tennessee  came 
with  his  son  to  the  marshes  to  buy  cattle.  W e mounted 
to  drive  them  together  that  they  might  see  them,  for  at 
this  season,  when  the  grass  is  everywhere  in  abundance, 
the  beasts  do  not  remain  in  one  place,  but  are  one  day 
here,  the  next  day  there.  There  cannot  be  a better 
place  in  the  world  for  cattle  than  the  marshes.  In  sum- 
mer the  woods  are  filled  with  pea-vine  as  high  as  the 
knees,  as  well  as  with  the  finest  grass,  wild  oats,  and 
wild  rye ; in  the  winter  the  evergreen  canebrakes  afford 
the  finest  pasture  for  cattle  and  deer,  and  winter  grass 
grows  in  many  parts  of  the  marshes. 

We  worked  our  way  through  thorns  and  creepers, 
reeds  and  forests,  and  almost  impenetrable  sassafras 
bushes,  and  came  back  without  having  seen  a single 
horn.  One  of  the  consequences  was  that  I was  again 
laid  up,  but  this  time  I had  a companion  in  the  young 
stranger,  who  had  thus  to  pay  his  footing  in  the  swamps. 
On  the  second  day  he  was  so  ill  that  his  life  was  de- 
spaired of ; but  at  last  he  recovered. 

On  the  7th  October  I rode  for  the  sake  of  exercise, 
towards  a settlement  about  twelve  miles  off.  It  began 


A BACKWOODS  FAMILY. 


169 


to  get  dark  when  I reached  the  house  of  a Mrs.  Lane, 
who  seeing  me  look  so  wretched  and  worn,  kindly 
invited  me  to  rest  there.  Mrs.  Lane  might  be  held  up 
as  a good  specimen  of  American  women.  She  was 
very  simply  dressed,  but  in  good  taste,  and  every  thing 
in  the  house,  where  she  lived  with  her  two  daughters, 
remarkably  pretty  girls,  was  scrupulously  neat  and 
clean. 

They  listened  with  pleasure  to  my  accounts  of  dis- 
tant Europe,  the  sort  of  life  people  led  there,  the  luxury 
of  the  rich  and  the  misery  of  the  poor,  particularly  in 
large  towns,  the  general  fondness  for  society,  and  the 
good  qualities  of  many  of  all  stations,  high  and  low ; 
they  shook  their  heads  and  said,  “ The  other  side  of  the 
great  ocean  must  be  a curious  place ! ” It  was  late 
when  I rolled  myself  in  a blanket  before  the  fire,  to 
sleep  sweetly  and  calmly  during  the  night.  In  the 
morning  my  headache  returned,  and  shivering  limbs 
announced  the  enemy.  There  was  no  time  for  delay ; I 
buckled  the  girths  with  trembling  hands,  and  went  in 
to  take  leave : the  kind  folks  had  some  hot  coffee  ready 
for  me,  which  might  delay  but  could  not  prevent  the 
attack.  I went  on  about  three  miles  to  the  smithy, 
and  explained  my  wishes,  and  then  turned  the  horse’s 
head  toward  the  house  of  Mr.  Dunn : how  I got  there 
is  more  than  I can  say,  — I have  a faint  remembrance 
of  a piercing  headache,  and  dreadful  weakness  — that  I 
often  lay  upon  the  horse’s  neck,  when  the  gentle  animal 
stood  still,  and  did  not  move  till  I could  sit  upright 
again.  Dunn’s  house  was  about  three  miles  from  the 
smith’s ; on  arriving,  I slipped  off  rather  than  dis- 
mounted. The  old  man  soon  saw  what  was  the  matter 
15 


170 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


with  me,  and  bringing  out  a glass  of  some  green  liquid, 
he  made  me  take  a good  gulp  of  it : its  excessive  bitter- 
ness seemed  to  cut  me  in  two,  and  I asked  with  horror 
what  was  the  stuff  he  had  given  me.  He  laughed  at 
the  face  I made,  and  told  me  it  was  something  quite 
new  and  his  own  invention : it  was  bear’s  gall  and 
whiskey,  and  he  was  not  a little  proud  of  his  medicine. 
I slept  well  during  the  night,  and  returned  to  S.’s  next 
day.  I was  very  sorry  not  to  have  been  in  better  con- 
dition on  the  evening  that  I passed  at  Dunn’s,  for  he 
was  a good  old  fellow,  and  very  amusing  with  his  dry 
stories. 

On  the  evening  of  the  18th  October,  S.  came  back 
from  Strong’s,  where  he  had  bought  a couple  of  negro 
children,  and  brought  them  home  on  a led  horse.  One 
was  a boy  about  fifteen  years  old,  as  black  as  pitch,  and 
with  a regular  Ethiopian  cast  of  countenance ; as  he 
crossed  the  threshold,  he  examined  every  one  present, 
with  a rapid  glance  of  his  large  dark  eyes,  and  then 
looked  unconcernedly  at  all  the  furniture,  &c.,  as  if  all 
that  was  of  no  consequence  to  him.  The  other  was  a 
little  girl  of  about  eleven,  who  seemed  already  to  have 
gone  through  some  hard  work.  When  she  saw  so 
many  strange  faces,  a tear  glittered  in  her  eyes  : she 
had  been  sold  away  from  her  parents,  whom  she,  would 
probably  never  more  behold,  and  stood  an  image  of 
suppressed  grief.  The  boy  was  from  Maryland,  had 
been  taken  by  sea  to  New  Orleans,  and  from  thence 
brought  here.  He  had  been  told  that  he  had  fallen  to 
a kind  master,  and  his  countenance  seemed  to  say  that 
was  enough,  happen  what  might. 

On  the  following  Sunday,  I had  another  attack  of 


SWINDLERS  IN  ARKANSAS. 


171 


ague,  which  I could  not  shake  off  for  some  days.  In 
the  evening  two  strangers  arrived ; and  although  they 
came  from  opposite  directions,  they  seemed  to  be  well 
acquainted,  as  they  frequently  conversed  in  a whisper. 
After  supper,  when  we  were  in  the  second  house,  where 
we  all  slept,  they  consulted  together  about  their  future 
plans,  which  consisted  in  no  less  than  their  travelling 
about  the  country,  and  keeping  a gaming  table,  pre- 
tending all  the  while  to  be  unknown  to  each  other,  and 
so  playing  into  each  other’s  hands : their  designs  wrere 
to  be  principally  carried  on  among  the  Indians,  particu- 
larly the  Cherokees,  as  they  thought  they  were  more 
easily  cheated  than  the  whites.  But  perhaps  the  two 
scoundrels  had  not  been  able  to  agree,  for  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning  they  parted,  one  of  them  passing  off  a 
false  five-dollar  note  on  S.,  who  was  not  a little  an- 
noyed when  he  some  time  afterwards  made  the  dis- 
covery. I was  about  to  ride  in  the  same  direction  that 
the  other  fellow  took,  and  when  he  saw  my  horse 
saddled,  he  expressed  his  delight  at  having  the  pleasure 
of  my  company  ; but  I said  dryly : “ I am  not  going  to 
ride  with  a scoundrel.”  At  the  word  “ scoundrel,”  he 
flew  into  a rage,  and  began  to  feel  for  his  knife  or 
pistol,  on  which  I quietly  brought  my  rifle  to  my 
shoulder : he  bit  his  lip  and  rode  off  at  a sharp  trot. 
After  waiting  a short  time  I followed,  taking  the  route 
to  Cash  river  to  bring  home  some  dogs,  for  S.  and  I 
saw  nothing  more  of  him. 

Arkansas  was  overrun  at  this  time  with  a number 
of  bad  characters,  gamblers,  drunkards,  thieves,  mur- 
derers, who  all  thought  that  the  simple-minded  back- 
woodsmen were  easier  to  be  cheated  than  the  wary 


172 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


settlers  in  the  older  states.  This  circumstance  had 
given  so  bad  a name  to  Arkansas,  that  many  thought 
all  its  inhabitants  went  about  armed  to  the  teeth  with 
pistols  and  bowie-knives;  but  I have  traversed  the 
State  in  all  directions,  and  met  with  as  honest  and 
upright  people  as  are  to  be  found  in  any  other  part  of 
the  Union. 

On  the  24th  October,  two  heavily  laden  carts 
arrived,  each  drawn  by  one  horse : they  contained  all 
sorts  of  things  useful  for  settlers.  Their  owners  are 
called  peddlers,  and  they  ask  high  prices  for  their  goods, 
and  are  said  to  make  a good  thing  of  it.  S.  bought 
only  a few  trifles. 

S.  having  sold  most  of  his  cattle,  decided  on  parting 
with  this  farm,  and  removing  to  Oiltrove  bottom.  Our 
contract  having  been  dissolved  by  Uhl’s  departure  and 
my  frequent  sickness,  was  no  longer  to  be  thought  of. 
Preparations  were  made  for  moving;  S.  had  been 
already  to  White  river  and  made  his  purchase.  When 
about  to  start,  we  found  that  two  more  oxen  were 
necessary:  we  had  four,  but  the  load  was  too  heavy 
with  such  soft  boggy  roads.  So  we  rode  into  the 
woods,  and  drove  a couple  of  wild  bulls  into  the 
inclosure,  threw  nooses  over  their  horns,  and  fastened 
them  to  trees.  They  made  tremendous  efforts  to  free 
themselves,  jerking  the  leather  thongs  with  all  their 
force ; and  when  they  found  all  their  struggles  were  in 
vain,  they  threw  themselves  on  the  ground  and  bel- 
lowed with  rage.  Thus  they  remained  all  the  day  and 
night,  during  which  we  gave  them  nothing  but  a little 
water  to  quench  their  thirst.  About  nine  o’clock 
next  morning  they  were  yoked  each  with  a steady  old 


WHITE  RIVER  AND  ITS  NEIGHBORHOOD.  173 


hand;  the  whips  cracked,  voices  shouted,  and  partly 
from  the  shower  of  blows  that  fell  on  them,  partly 
dragged  along  by  their  stout  companions,  after  four  or 
five  hours’  useless  opposition,  they  went  as  well  as  if 
they  had  done  nothing  all  their  lives  but  draw  a cart. 

The  heavy  wagQn  made  slow  progress  along  the 
muddy  tracts,  softened  by  the  autumnal  rains.  We 
arrived  at  White  river  on  the  morning  of  the  4th 
November,  and  had  to  wait  on  the  bank  till  evening, 
as  it  was  blowing  a storm,  and  it  would  have  been 
dangerous  to  trust  the  heavy  wagon  to  the  ferry-boat 
in  such  weather. 

White  river  is  beyond  all  dispute  the  most  beautiful 
river  of  Arkansas.  Its  clear  waves  form  a striking 
contrast  to  those  of  the  Mississippi  and  Red  river; 
only  towards  its  mouth  the  banks  are  low,  and  the 
land  swampy ; higher  up  it  is  enclosed  by  picturesque 
hills.  It  rises  in  the  Ozark  mountains,  in  the  north- 
west angle  of  the  State,  where  there  is  game  in 
abundance;  it  divides  into  two  arms,  one  of  which 
falls  into  the  Mississippi,  and  the  other  into  the 
Arkansas. 

As  the  'wind  fell,  the  dry  cold  air  changed  into  a 
damp  fog,  which  soon  turned  to  rain,  and  we  were 
glad  to  find  shelter  under  the  roof  of  a free  negro,  who 
kept  a sort  of  tavern.  Merry  peals  of  laughter  re- 
sounded from  the  well-lighted  room,  where  a bright 
fire  was  blazing,  and  very  comfortable  did  its  warmth 
appear  to  us  after  our  exposure  to  the  weather.  Three 
jovial  looking  fellows  were  sitting  round  it,  telling 
stories,  and  roaring  with  laughter.  Three  long  Amer- 
15  * 


174 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


ican  rifles,  with  their  shot-belts  hanging  on  them, 
leaning  in  a corner,  showed  that  the  party,  if  not 
regular  woodsmen,  were  at  least  out  on  a shooting 
excursion.  A half  empty  whiskey-bottle  stood  on  the 
table,  and  after  a short  conversation,  I learnt  that  the 
little*  fat  man,  with  sparkling  eyes  and  ruby  nose, 
sitting  enjoying  himself  in  the  corner,  and  making 
constant  love  to  the  whiskey-bottle,  was  Magnus  the 
distiller,  who,  with  a couple  of  friends,  was  on  his  way 
to  the  swamps  from  whence  we  came,  for  the  sake  of 
buffalo  hunting.  The  little  man  drank  my  health,  and 
amused  me  very  much  with  his  drolleries.  He  could 
think  of  nothing  but  buffaloes,  swore  only  by  buffaloes, 
made  bets  in  buffalo-skins,  estimated  every  thing  by 
their  value,  and  tormented  the  small  modicum  of  un- 
derstanding which  the  whiskey  had  left  in  his  brains, 
to  devise  how  he  should  be  able  to  transport  at  the 
greatest  advantage  the  skins  of  all  the  buffaloes  he 
meant  to  kill. 

It  was  all  in  vain  that  I attempted  to  give  him  an 
idea  of  the  almost  impenetrable  swamps,  of  the  diffi- 
culty of  finding  the  few  buffaloes  which  were  there, 
and  of  the  almost  impossibility  when  found  of  bringing 
their  skins  or  any  other  part  away;  his  countenance 
bore  the  same  joyous,  amicable  expression  as  before. 
"When  I had  finished  my  remarks,  he  handed  me  the 
bottle,  which  I put  to  my  lips  without  drinking.  In 
a voice  trembling  with  emotion,  he  assured  me  that  he 
was  prepared  to  venture  every  thing,  even  life  itself, 
for  the  sake  of  killing  a buffalo,  and  when  life  was  at 
stake,  who  could  take  into  consideration  a few  insig- 


MAGNUS,  THE  GREAT  BUFFALO  HUNTER.  175 

nificant  swamp-holes  or  thorns ! And  then,  as  it 
struck  him  that  he  was  a father  of  a family,  his  voice 
became  weaker  and  more  tremulous,  his  emotion  in- 
creased, a flood  of  tears  gushed  from  his  eyes,  and 
before  I was  aware,  the  little  round  figure  was  hanging 
to  my  neck.  The  heavy  weight  forced  from  me  a 
sigh,  which  he  took  for  sympathy,  and  he  began  to 
squeeze  so  hard  that  I was  afraid  I should  be  suffo- 
cated, when  his  two  friends,  who  had  been  more 
moderate  with  the  bottle,  sprang  to  my  rescue.  But 
this  was  no  easy  matter,  and  as  he  clung  to  me  he 
cried  out,  “ Let  me  alone  ! he ’s  my  friend  — he,  he  will 
save  me ! ” I escaped  from  him  by  a sudden  wrench, 
and  his  companions  carried  him  off  to  bed,  he  all  the 
while  throwing  about  his  little  fat  arms  and  legs,  and 
calling  them  good-for-nothing  buffalo,  dogs.  Then  he 
again  began  to  whine  and  cry,  the  sounds  changing 
gradually,  first  into  a groan  and  then  into  a snore. 

We  arrived  at  the  new  farm  about  noon  next  day, 
and  found  the  former  proprietors  loading  their  wagon. 
They  took  their  leave  in  the  afternoon,  and  left  as  a 
memorial  an  incredible  quantity  of  dirt.  As  soon  as 
our  wagon  was  cleared,  and  the  things  under  cover, 
S.  returned  with  the  two  drivers  for  another  load, 
leaving  me  in  the  house  alone.  It  was  in  the  midst  of 
a thick  forest,  with  a field  of  about  seven  acres,  sur- 
rounded by  the  largest  trees.  But  I had  not  much 
time  to  contemplate  the  beauties  of  Nature,  for  in  un- 
loading and  stowing  away,  the  hours  had  flown  on  the 
wings  of  the  wind.  The  sun  had  set  before  I had 
collected  wood  from  the  forest  to  keep  up  a fire  for  the 
night,  or  had  had  time  to  prepare  my  supper ; the 


176 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


latter  duty  did  not  take  long,  for  my  whole  store  of 
provisions  consisted  of  maize  flour,  dried  venison,  and 
wild  honey. 

Darkness,  thick  darkness,  lay  upon  the  slumbering 
earth  : yielding  up  my  imagination  to  memorials  of  old 
times,  I drew  the  solitary  chair  to  the  blazing  fire,  took 
out  my  zither,  and  with  soft  mournful  tones,  soothed 
the  home-sickness,  which  in  loneliness  forces  itself  on 
the  heart.  After  a time,  overcome  by  fatigue,  I ex- 
tended myself  on  my  buffalo  skin  before  the  fire,  and 
soon  a succession  of  fantastic  dreams  flitted  across  my 
brain.  The  little  fat  distiller  sat  with  me  and  mine 
in  a garden  at  Leipzig,  relating  all  the  hardships  and 
dangers  which  he  had  undergone  at  the  buffalo  hunt, 
while  my  dear  mother  listened  to  him  with  astonish- 
ment: many  other  loved  forms  were  sitting  round  a 
large  table,  each  with  their  coffee  before  them,  when 
we  were  all  disturbed  by  a loud  knocking  at  the  gate, 
and  started  up  to  see  what  was  the  matter,  except  the 
little  distiller,  who  laughingly  told  us  it  was  only  a 
tame  buffalo  that  he  had  tied  up  at  the  gate.  The 
knocking  growing  louder  and  louder,  I jumped  up  in 
alarm  : the  fire  was  burnt  out,  thick  darkness  sur- 
rounded me,  but  the  repeated  loud  knocking  shook  off 
thft  remains  of  sleep,  and  I hastened  to  the  door. 

One  of  the  drivers  who  had  left  the  day  before, 
stepped  into  the  room,  his  teeth  chattering  with  ague. 
I made  haste  to  light  the  fire,  which  soon  burnt  up 
brightly,  and  then  looked  to  my  patient,  who  had  sunk 
down  on  a chair,  telling  me  with  a weak  voice  that 
his  last  hour  was  come.  Luckily,  I had  some  coffee  at 
hand,  and  made  him  drink  a couple  of  cups  as  hot  as 


A PATIENT  WITH  THE  AGUE SWAMPS.  177 

possible,  sweetened  with  honey.  He  then  threw  him- 
self on  the  skin  and  was  soon  asleep.  Next  day  he 
was  somewhat  better,  and  we  passed  the  time  as  well 
as  we  could,  till  S.  should  come  with  his  second  load. 
I employed  myself  in  collecting  wood  for  the  fire,  and 
in  shooting  turkeys,  to  make  our  provisions  last. 
After  a week,  during  the  last  days  of  which  we  had 
lived  on  turkeys  and  pumpkins,  taking  the  latter,  which 
were  very  sweet  and  delicate,  from  the  field  of  a neigh- 
bor at  no  great  distance,  S.  arrived  with  the  rest  of 
his  property,  cows,  horses,  pigs,  geese,  cats,  chickens, 
and  dogs.  Then  there  was  all  the  bustle  of  arranging 
and  settling,  and  then  another  attack  of  ague,  which 
seemed  regularly  to  have  fixed  itself  on  me  in  this  un- 
healthy country.  I bore  up  against  it,  but  was  not 
well  enough  to  mount  a horse  till  the  20th  November, 
when  I took  a ride  of  four  or  five  miles  with  my  rifle, 
for  a breath  of  fresh  air. 

These  swamps  and  morasses  partly  realize  the  idea 
which  Europeans  entertain  of  the  primitive  forest,  but 
in  which  they  are  frequently  deceived,  for  the  simple 
reason,  that  on  the  higher  dry  grounds  which  are 
covered  with  dry  leaves  and  wood,  fires  are  often  made, 
not  only  by  shooting  parties,  but  by  the  settlers,  for 
the  sake  of  the  grass,  which  comes  up  all  the  sooner 
when  all  these  enormous  quantities  of  leaves,  &c.,  have 
been  burnt ; and  the  fire  does  not  consume  the  young 
plants  only,  but  considerably  checks  the  growth  of  the 
older  trees,  excepting  in  the  marshes,  where  the  ground 
even  in  summer  is  moist ; and  there  the  trees  grow  to  a 
colossal  grandeur  — I have  seen  some  measuring  seven, 
eight,  and  even  nine  feet  in  diameter. 


178 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


Towards  evening  I saw  a young  buck,  walking 
quietly  and  circumspectly  through  the  wood;  I dis- 
mounted, and  left  the  horse  to  graze  at  leisure,  while 
I crept  nearer.  He  stopped  when  he  saw  the  horse 
pawing  the  ground,  raised  his  handsome  head,  and 
snuffed  the  air ; my  ball  whistled  through  Ips  ribs,  and 
he  fell  lifeless  to  the  ground.  Weak  as  I was,  it  was 
some  time  before  I could  lift  the  not  very  large  animal 
on  to  the  horse,  when  I rode  slowly  homewards.  Just 
before  dark,  I shot  a turkey  with  the  other  barrel,  and 
did  not  load  again,  not  expecting  to  get  another  shot 
so  late  in  the  evening.  The  full  moon  set  its  soft 
silvery  light  among  the  dark  shadows  of  the  trees, 
to  point  out  my  path.  I might  have  ridden  for  about 
an  hour  and  a half  through  the  thick  forest  on  my 
heavily  laden  horse,  and  had  gained  a cattle  track, 
which  led  to  the  house ; the  stillness  of  the  night  was 
broken  by  the  cow-bells,  the  baying  of  the  dogs  and 
the  neigh  of  my  horse,  in  expectation  of  a good  supper, 
when  there  was  a sudden  rustling  among  the  bushes  on 
my  right.  I pulled  up,  and  a herd  of  swine  rushed  in 
wild  haste  across  the  path,  just  in  front  of  me.  I was 
about  to  ride  on,  when  I heard  further  rustling  amongst 
the  dry  leaves,  and  then  one  of  the  largest  bears  of  the 
swamps  stood  in  the  path,  not  above  six  paces  from 
my  horse’s  nose.  He  did  not  seem  to  know  what  to 
make  of  the  figure  looming  through  the  glade  of  the 
forest  by  the  light  of  the  moon,  and  began  to  snuff  the 
air.  My  rifle  was  not  loaded,  and  the  thought  flashed 
upon  me,  that  I should  have  to  fight  it  out  with  the 
knife ; but  I resolved  first  to  try  and  send  him  a bit  of 
lead.  I placed  the  butt  of  my  gun  on  my  left  toe,  and 


HUNTING  WITH  AN  UNLOADED  GUN. 


179 


succeeded  in  loading ; but,  as  I was  about  to  place  the 
copper  cap,  the  horse,  who  had  hitherto  stood  quite 
still,  seemed  inclined  to  examine  the  object  before  him 
a little  closer,  and  giving  a snort  he  made  a step  for- 
ward. Master  Bruin,  however,  did  not  seem  to  like 
this,  and  with  one  bound  he  was  in  the  jungle.  Having  / 
finished  my  loading,  I slipped  off  my  horse,  and  crept 
into  the  bushes  to  get  a shot,  if  possible.  I may  have 
gone  about  twenty  paces  over  the  dr}7  leaves,  when  I 
stood  still  to  listen.  Not  the  slightest  sound  was  to 
be  heard ; though  I was  firmly  convinced  that  the  bear 
could  not  be  above  ten  paces  off,  for  the  leaves  were  so 
dry  that  if  he  had  gone  further  I must  have  heard  it. 

I raised  my  foot  gently  to  make  another  step  forward, 
when  the  bear,  who  had  been  standing  so  motionless 
before  me  that  I took  him  for  the  root  of  a fallen  tree, 
almost  brushed  my  face,  and  took  himself  off  with  a 
growl ; before  I could  recover  from  my  surprise  he  had 
disappeared. 

I returned,  quite  disappointed,  to  my  horse,  who 
remained  quietly  grazing,  and  rode  away  with  two 
good  resolutions  in  my  head,  — first,  never  to  go  a step 
with  my  gun  unloaded;  secondly,  to  seek  a nearer 
acquaintance  with  Bruin  on  the  morrow,  if  possible. 

On  the  22nd  November,  I was  early  afoot,  and 
although  the  weather  was  cold  and  disagreeable,  I set  off 
with  a neighbor  and  eleven  dogs,  full  of  joyous 
hopes. 

Bear-shooting  in  America  differs  according  to  the 
time  of  the  year,  and  the  habits  of  the  animal.  It 
was  now  late  in  the  autumn,  almost  winter,  so  that 
they  could  be  hunted  with  dogs.  Well  mounted,  with 


180 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


not  less  than  from  four  to  about  eight  or  ten  dogs,  the 
hunters  seek  in  the  thickest  and  most  unfrequented 
parts  of  the  forest  the  favorite  haunts  of  the  bear. 
The  men  ride  slowly  through  the  thorns  and  creepers, 
the  dogs  seeking  in  all  directions  till  they  find  a fresh 
trail,  or  a bear  breaks  cover,  when  they  follow  up  in 
full  cry.  If  the  bear  is  fat  he  seldom  runs  far,  but 
takes  to  a tree,  or  shows  fight ; if  there  are  not  dogs 
enough  to  master  him,  he  knocks  them  over  and  con- 
tinues his  flight.  If  he  takes  to  a tree,  his  fate  is  soon 
sealed  by  the  rifle. 

We  had  ridden  along  quietly  for  about  an  hour,  when 
the  dogs  gave  tongue,  and  started  off,  we  after  them  as 
well  as  we  could.  My  horse  was  an  old  hand  at  it, 
and  I had  nothing  to  do  but  to  sit  fast  as  he  leaped 
the  fallen  trees,  and  try  to  avoid  the  creepers,  which 
however  often  checked,  and  sometimes  threw  us. 

Keeping  up  with  the  dogs  was  out  of  the  question. 
I had  long  lost  sight  of  my  companion ; I listened, 
and  it  appeared  that  the  bear  had  turned  to  the  left, 
towards  the  river ; could  he  reach  it,  he  was  safe,  — it 
was  too  cold  for  the  dogs  — besides,  they  would  hardly 
venture  to  swim,  and  we  also  must  have  remained  on 
the  bank. 

I changed  my  course  to  cut  him  off,  and  luckily  hit 
upon  one  of  the  cattle  tracks  that  cross  the  wood  in 
all  directions.  Once  clear  of  the  thorns,  we  went  at  a 
good  pace,  and  soon  heard  the  pack  approaching. 
Suddenly  the  horse  swerved  to  one  side  with  a snort, 
and  the  bear  burst  out  of  the  thicket.  The  moment 
he  saw  the  horse,  he  stopped  short  and  gave  a deep 
growl.  I had  sprung  off,  and  the  bear  had  hardly 


BRUIN  AT  BAY. 


DEATH  OF  THE  BEAR. 


181 


stopped,  when  my  ball  was  in  his  shoulder.  The  pack 
was  close  upon  him,  and  he  summoned  all  his  strength 
to  escape  from  the  dogs ; but  the  wounded  shoulder 
checked  his  pace,  the  dogs  attacked  him,  and  he  rose 
on  his  hind  legs  to  oppose  them.  I could  not  venture 
a second  shot  for  fear  of  injuring  some  of  them,  so 
charged  him  with  my  knife,  and  plunged  it  from 
behind  the  shoulder  into  his  heart ; this,  with  the 
furious  bites  of  the  dogs,  soon  ended  his  life. 

My  companion  arrived  at  this  moment,  tired  to 
death,  all  torn  with  the  thorns,  and  his  horse  covered 
with  foam.  He  was  not  a little  vexed  at  coming  too 
late;  however,  he  helped  to  break  up  the  bear,  and 
strip  off  his  skin,  — and  as  each  of  us  had  a bag  under 
the  saddle,  we  divided  the  prize,  and  rode  slowly  home. 
The  carcase  is  always  equally  divided  amongst  the 
hunters*;  the  skin  belongs  to  the  first  shot. 


16 


CHAPTER  Vn. 


WOODLAND  SPORTS CANE-BRAKES MY  EXAMINA- 

TION BY  THE  SCHOOL  COMMISSION. 

Turkey  hunting  with  dogs  — * American  aptitude  for  barter  — Hard 
life  in  the  woods  — Ague  — Wolves  — Unhousing  a bear  — 
Number  of  widows  in  the  swamps  — Postal  system  in  the  back 
states  — Comfortable  quarters  — My  musical  propensities  — 1 The 
Mississippi  at  Memphis  — Cincinnati  and  its  German  inhabitants 
— Our  pill-box  manufactory  — My  speculations  in  reeds  — Dem- 
ocrats in  America — The  candidates  for  schoolmastership  — My 
examination  — Another  cane  trip  — Buffalo  shooting. 

The  weather  became  worse  every  day.  The  cold 
north  wind  blew  furiously  through  the  leafless  boughs  of 
the  gigantic  trees.  All  crowded  together  round  the 
warm  hearth,  and  the  European  began  to  long  for  the 
solid  walls  and  warm  rooms  of  his  native  land ; for 
the  wind  blows,  on  all  sides,  through  the  crevices  of 
the  American  block-houses  ; and  as  they  are  without 
windows,  the  door  must  be  left  open  the  livelong  day 
to  admit  the  necessary  light.  Thus  it  may  be  imagined, 
that  in  spite  of  the  enormous  fire,  the  temperature  is 
not  even  moderate.  In  addition,  we  had  nothing  to 
eat  but  bear’s  flesh,  three  times  a day  ; so  I put  on  my 
thick  flannel  hunting-shirt,  took  my  rifle,  and  made  up 
my  mind  to  shoot  a turkey,  whereat  the  dogs  began 
bounding  and  barking  for  joy. 

Turkey  hunting  with  dogs  is  one  of  the  most 
(1£2) 


TURKEY  SHOOTING  WITH  DOGS. 


183 


amusing  and  convenient  sports  in  the  world.  As  soon 
as  the  dogs  find  a gang , as  they  are  called,  they  run 
amongst  them,  barking  furiously ; although  a turkey 
can  run  fast,  he  cannot  outrun  a dog ; — so  by  way  of 
escape,  he  flies  heavily  to  the  nearest  tree,  generally 
seeking  the  highest  branches,  and  looks  inquisitively 
from  his  exalted  station,  on  the  dogs  jumping  and 
yelping  round  the  trunk.  It  now  requires  some  good 
management  on  the  part  of  the  sportsman,  for  should 
the  turkey  catch  sight  of  him,  he  will  fly  awray  again. 
The  best  plan  is  to  make  as  much  noise  as  possible, 
and,  if  the  party  is  large  enough  to  surround  the  tree, 
or  the  gang,  breaking  through  the  bushes  with  loud 
shouts ; and  while  the  bird  is  confused  by  the  strange 
noises,  the  sportsman,  having  got  near  enough,  must 
slip  behind  a tree.  Then  it  requires  a steady  hand  and 
correct  eye  to  hit,  with  a single  ball,  a turkey  at  the 
top  of  a tree,  from  130  to  140  feet  high;  it  is  not 
absolutely  necessary  that  he  be  killed  outright,  for  if  a 
wring  is  wounded,  his  heavy  weight  will  infallibly  kill 
him  in  his  fall.  A hen  turkey  weighs  from  nine  to 
fourteen  pounds ; the  cock  from  sixteen  to  twenty, 
and  even  twenty-four.  I killed  three,  and  returned 
heavily  laden  home. 

On  the  21st  December  came  the  last  load  from  1’An- 
guille,  and  another  attack  of  ague  for  me.  This  was 
altogether  too  much,  — I decided  on  bidding  adieu  to 
the  unhealthy  swamps,  and  trying  the  hills,  and  on  the 
4th  January  put  my  plan  in  execution.  Saint  had 
taken  a strong  liking  to  my  double-barrelled  rifle,  and 
repeatedly  wished  to  exchange  something  for  it.  This 
system  of  exchange  is  quite  a passion  with  the  Amer- 


184 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  TIIE  FAR  WEST. 


icans ; they  will  barter  any  thing  — lands,  houses, 
horses,  cattle,  guns,  clothes,  even  to  the  shirt  and  boots 
they  have  on  — or,  if  you  prefer  it,  they  are  just  as 
willing  to  sell.  Saint  had  a very  good  long  rifle,  and 
We  soon  settled  the  matter,  by  my  taking  it,  and  a good 
sum  into  the  bargain. 

I soon  found  that  I was  no  longer  master  of  my 
former  powers,  as  when  I knew  the  word  “ tired  ” only 
by  name.  Frequent  attacks  of  ague  had  robbed  my 
muscles  of  their  elasticity:  with  all  my  exertions,  I 
could  hardly  accomplish  more  than  twenty  miles  the 
first  day,  and  had  enough  to  do  to  make  thirteen  the 
next;  in  the  evening,  tired  to  death,  I arrived  at  Yon 
G.’s,  on  the  Little  Red  river.  Next  day  it  came  on  to 
rain  heavily,  and  I considered  myself  fortunate  in 
having  a good  roof  over  my  head.  I remained  with 
Yon  G.  till  the  9 th,  when  I went  to  my  old  friend 
Hilger.  I passed  a few  very  pleasant  weeks  with  him, 
helped  the  old  fellow  at  his  work  now  and  then,  but 
generally  went  out  turkey  shooting.  I was  treated  as 
one  of  the  family.  But  my  restless  spirit  and  desire 
for  change,  which  drove  me  away  from  every  place 
where  I had  made  friends,  would  not  allow  me  to 
remain  here ; I must  away,  for  the  peaceful  life  of  the 
happy  family  caused  me  mournful  thoughts  : to  escape 
them,  I determined  to  return  to  the  swamps,  as  in 
winter  the  danger  was  less  imminent. 

The  Hilgers  begged  me  to  remain,  hut  the  spirit 
which  possessed  me  was  too  strong  for  them,  and  I 
took  a warm  leave  of  them  all ; the  children,  however, 
would  not  hear  of  my  departure,  and  the  little  tliree- 
year-old  girl  was  only  to  be  pacified  by  a promise  that 


FOREST  TRAVEL SCARCITY  OF  PROVISIONS.  185 


she  should  go  with  me.  The  dear  little  thing  actually 
put  on  her  bonnet,  accompanied  me  for  a quarter  of  a 
mile,  and  then  her  brother  had  to  carry  her  home  by 
force;  my  eyes  moistened  as  she  held  forth  her  little 
hand,  and  called  out  my  name. 

On,  on,  without  delay,  till  the  evening  of  the  25th 
January  saw  me  at  Bay  de  View,  a little  river  running 
between,  and  parallel  to,  the  Cash  and  l’Anguille.  I 
pitched  my  camp  on  one  of  the  many  old  Indian 
sepulchral  mounds  there.  Deer  and  turkeys  were 
plentiful,  but,  like  the  little  distiller,  the  idea  of  a 
buffalo  hunt  had  got  fixed  in  my  head.  So  on  the 
27th  I followed  the  course  of  the  stream,  through  the 
wild  forest,  and  at  night,  beside  the  crackling  fire,  gave 
myself  up  to  troubled  thoughts.  I had  become  so  used 
to  forest  life,  that  I seldom  required  the  compass ; in 
the  level  marshy  land,  with  its  straight  gigantic  trees, 
the  traveller  can  easily  find  his  way  by  paying  atten- 
tion to  the  moss,  which  grows  much  longer  and  fuller 
on  the  north  side  than  on  the  south. 

In  a day  or  two  it  began  to  freeze ; as  the  ground 
was  covered  with  water,  in  many  places  knee  deep,  the 
noise  I made  in  breaking  the  ice  drove  away  all  the 
game  within  hearing.  On  the  28th  and  29th  January, 
I could  not  get  a shot,  and  lived  on  the  remains  of  a 
turkey,  and  some  maize  I had  in  my  pockets.  On  the 
30th  I had  nothing  but  the  maize,  which  I roasted  and 
devoured  with  the  greatest  appetite ; but  instead  of 
appeasing  my  hunger,  it  only  served  to  excite  it  the 
more,  and  I began  seriously  to  chew  tender  stems  of 
sassafras,  in  order  to  have  something  in  my  stomach. 

My  baggage  was  no  great  burden  to  me.  At 
16  * 


186 


WIL'D  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


White  river  I had  exchanged  my  buffalo  skin  for  a 
blanket  — I had  one  spare  shirt  in  my  game-bag,  with 
a pair  of  rather  woful  looking  socks,  a small  cord,  a 
bullet  mould,  and  a few  bits  of  lead ; but  my  greatest 
incumbrance  was  the  zither,  which  hung  over  my 
shoulder.  Yet  it  fully  repaid  me  for  all  my  trouble, 
when  I reposed  by  the  fire  after  the  day’s  toil,  and  I 
never  could  have  prevailed  on  myself  to  leave  it  in  the 
lurch. 

Towards  evening,  as,  still  suffering  from  raging 
hunger,  I was  looking  out  for  a dry  spot  to  sleep  on, 
I felt  it  growing  colder  every  moment ; I made  haste 
to  light  a good  fire,  and  threw  myself  before  it  com- 
pletely exhausted.  A hard  frost  came  on,  and  a little 
later  I was  delighted  to  see  it  begin  to  snow.  I coiled 
myself  up  as  well  as  I could  and  was  soon  asleep.  I 
was  awakened  in  the  night  by  the  frightful  howling 
of  the  wolves,  which  probably  had  no  better  sport  than 
myself,  and  I consoled  myself  with  the  idea  that  per- 
haps they  were  only  half  as  hungry.  I got  up  several 
times  during  the  night  to  shake  off  the  snow,  and  feed 
the  fire  with  the  large  logs  I had  collected  the  evening 
before;  so  that,  notwithstanding  the  severity  of  the 
cold,  I enjoyed  a comfortable  warmth. 

A bough  breaking  with  the  weight  of  snow,  roused 
me  out  of  my  sleep,  and  when  I pulled  the  blanket  from 
my  eyes  they  were  nearly  blinded  by  the  bright  reflec- 
tion of  the  sun’s  rays  from  the  white  surface.  The 
snow  suited  my  purposes  very  well ; I rubbed  my  hands 
and  face  with  it,  till  they  were  quite  in  a glow,  and 
having  no  breakfast  to  cook,  I was  soon  on  the  march. 
Though  weakened  by  my  long  fast,  my  good  night’s 


OVERCUP  OAK BUCK-HUNTING. 


187 


rest  and  reawakend  hope  inspired  me  with  new  force, 
and  I lost  no  time  in  seeking  something  to  appease  my 
ravenous  appetite,  as  I roamed  at  random  under  the 
heavily  laden  trees.  The  evening  before,  I had  dis- 
covered, near  my  sleeping  place,  an  overcup  oak,  bear- 
ing sweet  acorns,  some  of  which  I gathered  and 
devoured,  so  as  not  to  leave  my  stomach  entirely 
unemployed.  This  tree  grows  to  a great  size,  but  only 
in  the  marshes ; — the  leaves  are  small,  and  the  acorn  is 
covered  by  the  cup,  with  the  exception  of  a small 
opening  at  the  top,  whence  the  name.  It  is  nearly 
round,  and  serves  for  food  in  case  of  need,  being  less 
bitter  than  the  common  sort.  Bears  are  particularly 
fond  of  it. 

I had  not  gone  far  from  my  bivouac  when  I came  on 
the  fresh  trail  of  an  old  buck,  which  I followed  up 
swiftly  and  silently  through  snow  half  a foot  deep, 
passing  several  places  where  he  had  lain  down.  After 
following  the  track  for  about  three  hours,  it  became 
confused,  but  as  I was  forcing  my  way  through  a 
thickly  tangled  thorn-bush,  the  buck  stood  before  me, 
looking  at  me  with  inquiring  eyes.  Ere  I could  clear 
myself  of  the  good-for-nothing  creepers,  he  was  off 
again,  leaving  me  to  admire  the  immense  leaps  he  had 
made  in  the  commencement  of  his  flight ; his  third  leap 
had  been  over  a bush  from  eight  to  nine  feet  high,  and 
from  the  spot  where  he  took  off  to  that  where  he  lighted 
was  about  twenty  feet.  I found  that  he  had  soon 
slackened  his  pace  to  a walk,  so  quickening  my  steps,  I 
followed  him  cautiously.  I saw  him  a second  time 
standing  in  a thicket  about  a hundred  paces  off,  and 
evidently  on  the  look-out ; I had  no  hopes  of  getting 


188 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


nearer,  so  took  steady  aim  and  fired : he  gave  a start 
on  one  side,  then  fled  in  wild  haste  through  the  thick 
jungle.  I was  now  certain  of  him,  so  loaded  quietly 
and  walked  to  the  spot  where  he  had  been  standing. 
The  snow  was  discolored  with  blood,  and  a broad 
stripe  of  large  dark  red  spots  pointed  out  the  path  he 
had  taken. 

Being  somewhat  exhausted  by  the  sharp  pace,  and 
wishing  to  allow  the  poor  beast  to  lie  down  in  peace,  I 
seated  myself  on  a fallen  tree.  After  half  an  hour’s 
rest,  I followed  him  again ; unfortunately  he  had  made 
for  the  river,  to  lave  his  burning  wound  in  its  cool 
waves,  and,  having  swum  across,  he  was  lying  dead  on 
the  snow,  on  the  other  side,  in  a pool  of  blood. 

Had  I not  been  half  starved,  I should  not  have 
thought  of  venturing  into  the  cold  water ; but  necessity 
would  admit  of  no  hesitation.  I bound  together  some 
logs  of  decayed  wood,  as  floating  lightest,  laid  on  the 
raft  my  rifle,  zither,  blanket,  hunting-shirt,  powder- 
horn,  gamebag,  and  shirt,  and  stepped  into  the  icy- 
cold  water.  I kept  on  my  lower  garments,  as  they 
were  already  wet  through  from  the  small  streams  I had 
waded  in  the  course  of  the  chase.  I dipped  my  head 
as  soon  as  I could,  and  then  swam  across,  pushing  my 
raft  before  me. 

Shivering  with  cold,  I had  some  difficulty  in  making 
a fire,  on  account  of  the  deep  snow  which  covered 
every  thing ; — but  I managed  it  at  last  with  the  help 
of  my  tomahawk ; dried  myself,  and  having  laid  some 
steaks  on  the  fire,  I devoured  them  ere  they  were  well 
warmed  through. 

The  exertion  of  the  chase  and  the  cold  bath  was  too 


BUFFALO  HUNTING. 


189 


much  for  my  weakened  frame.  I threw  myself  down  by 
the  fire,  and  soon  felt  another  attack  of  ague.  The  shiver- 
ing fit  lasted  full  two  hours,  and  seemed  the  worst  I had 
ever  experienced  : it  was  succeeded  by  a hot  fit,  which 
made  me  forget  ice  and  snow.  Towards  evening  I was 
somewhat  better,  but  not  in  condition  to  continue  my 
journey  ; so  I cleared  away  the  snow,  piled  it  up  like  a 
wall  to  keep  off  the  wind,  collected  a good  store  of 
wood  and  slept  calmly  and  sweetly  through  the  night. 
Next  day  the  ague  had  left  me,  but  I felt  very  weak, 
and  remained  all  day  extended  before  my  warm  fire, 
enjoying  my  venison.  Towards  evening  I took  a little 
turn  for  the  sake  of  exercise,  and  to  see  if  I could  get  a 
shot,  returning  to  my  old  quarters  to  sleep,  and  setting 
out  next  day  for  the  long  desired  buffalo. 

I struck  off  in  a southerly  direction,  and  had 
lounged  along  for  about  a couple  of  hours,  when  I 
came  to  a place  where  at  least  twenty  of  these  crea- 
tures must  have  passed  the  previous  night.  I lost  no 
time  in  following  the  broad  trail  of  the  herd  down  the 
bank  of  the  river.  After  a time,  the  trail  turned 
suddenly  to  the  northward.  As  it  grew  dark,  I 
lighted  a good  fire  and  laid  down,  having  cleared 
away  the  snow.  It  was  dreadfully  cold.  The  wolves 
howled  fearfully,  but  did  not  come  near  me. 

After  a good  breakfast,  I again  followed  up  the 
trail,  which  ran  zigzag  and  in  all  directions,  and  when 
I laid  down  again  for  the  night  I knew  that  I could 
not  be  very  far  from  my  prey.  I slept  under  the 
shelter  of  a fallen  tree,  which  kept  off  the  wind,  and 
the  fire  burnt  brightly.  About  midnight,  the  wind 
changed  from  north-west  to  south-west,  of  which  I did 


190 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


not  much  approve,  for  the  sky  foreboded  a change. 
Dark  masses  of  cloud  assembled  in  the  south,  and  the 
air  became  perceptibly  warmer.  I dreaded  the  conse- 
quences. 

On  the  5th  of  February  it  began  to  thaw,  yet  I 
would  not  all  at  once  giye  up  my  hopes  of  the 
buffaloes,  till  several  abortive  attempts  to  find  the 
trail  convinced  me  of  the  fruitlessness  of  further  pursuit. 
Shower  followed  shower.  In  a few  hours  all  the  beau- 
tiful snow  had  disappeared,  leaving  a waste  of  waters,  in 
which  no  trail  was  visible. 

I had  now  to  ponder  within  myself  what  was  best 
to  be  done,  but  the  approaching  night  soon  settled  that 
matter.  The  darkness  and  pouring  rain  informed  me 
that  there  was  nothing  to  be  attempted  at  present.  A 
fire  was  out  of  the  question,  and  I cowered  under  a 
half-fallen  tree,  to  be  sheltered  as  much  as  possible 
from  the  rain.  I had  some  broiled  venison  in  my 
bag,  but  felt  no  appetite,  and  passed  a miserable 
night,  shivering  with  cold.  The  wolves  seemed  al- 
most tame,  for  some  came  within  a few  paces  of  me, 
and  howled  awfully.  I was  in  such  a state  of  despon- 
dency that  I would  not  take  the  trouble  to  draw  my 
knife,  because  I should  have  had  to  move  ; besides,  in 
the  humor  I was  in,  it  almost  seemed  that  to  be  shaken 
by  wolves  till  I was  warm  would  have  been  rather 
pleasant  than  otherwise. 

I did  not  close  an  eye  the  whole  night,  and  longed 
eagerly  for  the  first  gleam  of  day,  which  at  last  broke 
gloomily  through  the  dark  forest. 

The  rain  ceased,  and  a damp  thin  mist  lay  upon  the 
swamp.  I cut  a slice  of  venison,  and  all  my  salt  being 


NOCTURN  Air  ENTERTAINMENT. 


RETURN  TO  THE  HAUNTS  OF  MEN. 


191 


expended,  sprinkled  it  with  powder,  and  ate  it,  cold  and 
dry  as  it  was. 

The  almost  impenetrable  swamps  and  the  wretched 
weather,  together  with  my  long  solitude,  had  con- 
siderably cooled  my  shooting  propensities,  and  I re- 
solved to  seek  human  society.  To  get  clear  of  the 
swamps  as  soon  as  possible,  I directed  my  steps  to  the 
north-east,  towards  the  St.  Francis  river,  in  hopes  of 
finding  letters  from  Cincinnati,  or  perhaps  from  home, 
at  Strong’s  post-office,  as  I had  written  for  them  to  be 
forwarded  there. 

A few  dry  strips  of  land  ran  across  the  country  from 
north  to  south,  the  intermediate  spaces  being  about  a 
foot  or  a foot  and  a half  under  water,  with  here  and 
there  channels  three  or  four  feet  deep.  Worn  out 
and  wretched  as  I felt  from  the  frequent  attacks  of 
ague,  I had  twice  to  swim  through  the  icy  water,  but 
the  word  “ must  ” carried  me  through.  In  fact,  I had 
the  choice  of  that  or  perishing  in  the  swamp.  The 
first  alternative  was  merely,  disagreeable,  while  the 
latter  was  highly  objectionable ; so  I chose  the  former. 

I passed  the  night  by  a warm  fire,  at  which  I 
roasted  a turkey  I had  shot.  It  was  at  any  rate  an  im- 
provement on  its  predecessor,  and  my  zither  responded 
through  the  forest  to  the  voices  of  the  owls  and  wolves. 

Next  morning  I resumed  my  north-east  direction 
with  fresh  strength,  and  was  not  a little  surprised 
about  nine  o’clock  by  a smell  of  smoke.  Soon  after- 
wards I came  on  the  fresh  remains  of  a fire.  The  im- 
pressions on  the  leaves  showed  clearly  enough  that 
only  one  person  had  lain  there,  and  that  he  had  four 
dogs  with  him.  About  twenty  paces  from  the  fire 


192 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


some  grains  of  Indian  com  were  scattered  about,  and 
a tree  showed  signs  that  a horse,  who  had  left  unmis- 
takable marks  of  his  teeth  in  the  bark,  had  been 
tethered  there. 

According  to  appearances,  this  person  had  not  left 
his  halting-place  above  an  hour,  and  as  the  dew  and 
hoar  frost  still  lay  on  the  leaves  and  grass,  his  trail 
towards  the  south-east  was  easily  traceable.  After 
following  for  a short  distance,  I heard  a shot,  hastened 
towards  the  sound,  and  came  up  just  as  the  object  of 
my  search  was  mounting  his  horse.  A broken-up  deer 
was  hanging  to  a tree,  and  four  dogs  came  barking 
towards  me.  It  turned  out  to  be  a man  of  the  name 
of  Pearce,  a dweller  in  the  neighborhood,  with  whom 
I was  slightly  acquainted.  We  greeted  each  other 
heartily,  and  were  mutually  delighted  at  the  chance 
meeting,  he  assuring  me  that  nothing  could  have  given 
him  greater  pleasure  than  falling  in  with  me,  as  he  had 
discovered  a tree  a few  days  back  in  which  the  marks 
left  it  out  of  doubt  that  a bear  must  be  concealed.  He 
had  killed  the  deer  as  he  came  along,  and  hung  it  up, 
intending  to  carry  it  home  on  his  return.  I readily 
accepted  his  proposal  to  join  him,  and  we  hastened 
towards  Brushy  lake,  which  we  soon  reached,  but  too 
far  south  ; — so  we  had  to  go  up  the  stream. 

As  we  were  both  tired,  we  bivouacked  early  in  the 
afternoon,  on  an  elevated  tract  of  land,  and  stretched 
ourselves  comfortably  before  a warm  fire.  I had  half  a 
turkey  remaining,  and  Pearce  had  bear,  deer,  and  coffee, 
so  I need  hardly  say  that  we  made  a good  dinner. 

We  passed  a quiet  night,  and  the  sun  was  well  up 
before  we  commenced  our  march.  About  ten  o’clock 


BEAR-HUNTING  WITH  DOGS. 


193 


P.  pointed  out  a large  cypress  close  to  the  bank  of  the 
river,  assuring  me  that  the  bear  was  there.  The  tree 
may  have  been  about  four  feet  in  diameter,  and  there 
were  very  distinct  traces  of  a bear’s  claws  in  the  bark. 
P.  had  intended  to  smoke  out  the  sleeper;  but  that 
would  have  required  much  time,  and  as  we  were  now 
two,  and  the  tree  was  quite  hollow  at  the  base,  we 
resolved  to  cut  it  down  with  our  tomahawks.  Securing 
the  horse  at  a safe  distance,  we  set  to  work,  and  the 
forest  soon  resounded  with  the  strokes  of  our  small  axes. 
About  two  o’clock  we  paused  to  take  a little  refresh- 
ment ; the  dogs,  meantime,  tired  of  waiting,  amused 
themselves  in  chasing  rabbits  and  raccoons. 

We  had  hardly  recommenced  our  work,  when  P. 
cried,  “ Look  out ! the  bear  ! ” At  the  first  word  I had 
seized  my  rifle.  The  bear  was  down  £he  tree  like  a 
flash  of  lightning ; to  fire,  drop  the  gun,  out  knife,  and 
at  him,  was  the  work  of  an  instant  for  each  of  us ; but 
he  slipped  off  like  an  eel  from  between  us,  and  our 
knives  had  nearly  found  a different  sheath ; so  exactly 
had  our  shots  fallen  together,  that  neither  knew  the 
other  had  fired. 

The  bear,  so  discourteously  roused  from  his  winter 
sleep,  could  not  at  first  make  out  the  reason.  But  the 
approach  of  the  dogs,  ^attracted  by  the  shots,  soon 
caused  him  to  take  to  flight.  P.,  rifle  in  hand,  threw 
himself  on  his  horse,  and  galloped  after  them,  I follow- 
ing, with  my  drawn  knife,  as  fast  as  my  legs  would  car- 
ry me.  The  bear,  severely  wounded,  did  not  run  far, 
and  finding  the  dogs  gaining  on  him,  he  took  to  a tree. 
P.  sprang  off  his  horse  and  loaded,  and  I came  up  just 

17 


194 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


in  time  to  see  the  bear,  struck  by  his  unerring  ball, 
spring  up,  turn  over,  cling  for  a moment  with  both 
paws,  then  fall  heavily  to  the,  ground.  The  dogs  threw 
themselves  on  him,  while  we  plunged  our  knives  into 
his  chest  with  a shout  of  joy.  The  first  two  balls  had 
hit  him  in  the  flank,  while  the  third  from  P.’s  hand  had 
lodged  in  his  heart. 

As  it  was  too  late  in  the  day  to  travel  further,  we 
returned  to  the  place  where  my  rifle  and  some  of  P.’s 
things  were  left,  collected  wood,  made  a capital  fire, 
and  prepared  a splendid  supper.  As  P.  had  been  some 
days  in  the  woods,  we  had  finished  his  coffee  in  the 
morning ; so,  by  way  of  something  hot  to  wash  down 
the  meat,  I pulled  up  some  sassafras  roots,  cut  them  up 
into  small  pieces,  and  made  a very  good  substitute  for 
tea. 

Refreshed  by  our  hard-earned  meal,  we  enveloped 
ourselves  in  our  blankets,  and  chatted  together  before 
the  fire : P.  telling  me  about  the  winter  sleep  of  the 
bears.  Towards  the  end  of  the  year,  they  select  a hol- 
low tree  for  the  purpose,  scratching  and  biting  the  inside 
as  smooth  and  clean  as  possible.  This  done,  they  de- 
scend into  it,  about  Christmas  time,  tail  downwards,  and 
remain  immovable,  if  not  disturbed,  till  the  end  of  Feb- 
ruary or  middle  of  March,  when  they  come  out  for  a 
drink  of  water,  returning  to  their  retreat  till  the  weather 
is  mild,  and  they  can  gain  their  ordinary  livelihood. 
Sometimes,  instead  of  a tree,  they  select  a cane-brake, 
breaking  and  biting  off  the  canes  to  form  a bed. 

The  nearest  house  lay  about  ten  miles  north-east 
from  our  bivouac,  and  through  the  worst  part  of  the 


THE  FALLING  TREE. 


105 


swamp ; but  once  there,  I had  hopes  of  being  able  to 
walk  on  firm  ground,  instead  of  floundering  through 
water  and  mud. 

After  some  hours’  agreeable  repose,  both  of  us  having 
risen  to  make  up  the  fire  afresh,  and  just  laid  down 
again,  we  were  suddenly  alarmed  by  a most  tre- 
mendous crash,  which  made  us  start  up.  The  tree 
which  we  had  been  hacking  at,  and  then  thought  no 
more  about,  was  overthrown  by  the  rising  wind ; but 
this  wind  saved  us,  for  as  it  blew  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion to  our  fire,  the  tree  fell  from  us  — otherwise  we 
might  have  paid  dearly  for  our  carelessness.  As  it 
happened  to  fall  across  the  river,  it  made  a very  good 
bridge  for  me  on  the  following  morning.  The  dogs 
had  dropped  their  tails,  and  started  off  at  the  very  first 
crack. 

We  were  up  with  the  day.  P.  packed  his  bear  on 
the  horse,  and  made  me  promise  to  come  and  see  him 
when  the  swamps  should  be  dry,  to  join  in  a buffalo 
hunt.  Taking  a hearty  leave  of  him  I set  off  to  the 
north-east.  After  three  hours’  marching  up  to  the 
knees,  and  sometimes  to  the  waist,  in  water,  I came  on 
the  broad  road  leading  to  Memphis,  and  turned  to  the 
eastward.  In  the  afternoon  I arrived  at  S.’s  old  farm, 
and  walked  half  a mile  further,  to  sleep  at  McO.’s, 
dwelling  with  pleasure  all  the  while  on  the  hopes  of  a 
warm  bed,  a sound  roof,  and  the  society  of  fellow- 
creatures. 

McO.  gave  me  a warm  reception,  doing  every  thing 
to  make  me  comfortable  : his  wife  came  in  later,  having 
taken  a ride  to  pay  a visit  to  a couple  of  widows.  It 
is  a remarkable  fact  that  such  a number  of  widows  are 


196 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


found  in  the  swamps.  Wherever  you  go,  you  are  sure 
to  see  one  at  the  least,  and  I think  “Mr.  Weller” 
would  have  felt  very  uncomfortable  in  this  part  of  the 
world.  Doubtless  the  climate  is  better  suited  to  women 
than  to  men,  as  the  latter  almost  always  die  first. 

We  were  merrily  chatting  by  the  cheerful  fire  when 
suddenly  the  doorway  was  darkened.  I turned  to  look 
at  the  new  comer,  and  who  should  it  be  but  the 
Methodist  preacher.  One  night  later,  and  I should 
have  been  out  of  his  reach. 

As  the  sun  rose  I started,  quite  refreshed,  and 
before  sunset  arrived  at  Strong’s  post-office,  on  the  St. 
Francis.  Communication  by  letter  would  be  impos- 
sible in  the  thinly  settled  Western  States,  did  not  one 
of  the  farmers  undertake  the  office  of  post-master. 
One  is  appointed  for  each  county,  but  their  duties  are 
not  severe.  A postman,  or  mail  rider  as  he  is  called, 
traverses  the  county  on  horseback,  sleeping  at  certain 
fixed  stations.  The  mail  rider  from  Memphis,  in 
Tennessee,  with  a pack-horse  in  addition,  carries  the  mail 
for  Little  Rock  and  Batesville  to  Strong’s  post-office, 
about  forty  miles,  taking  back  the  return  bags  ; from 
Strong’s,  one  rider  goes  to  Batesville,  and  another  to 
Little  Rock.  I found  a letter  from  Vogel,  requesting 
me  to  return  to  Cincinnati,  and  telling  me  that  three 
letters  had  arrived,  for  me  from  Germany. 

The  following  morning  found  me  on  the  other  side 
of  the  St.  Francis,  traversing  the  swamp  which  Uhl 
and  I had  had  such  trouble  to  cross  nine  months  ago^ 
Although  still  soft  and  muddy,  it  was  not  quite  so  bad 
as  on  the  previous  occasion.  I gained  the  banks  of 
the  lake  about  dusk,  and  hailed  the  ferryman.  He 


197 


“ SHOCKING  BAD  DREAMS.” 

was  not  the  man  who  kept  it  when  we  first  came  here. 
As  the  sky  looked  suspicious,  I decided  on  passing  the 
night  in  the  house.  My  host  was  a young  man,  with 
no  one  but  a negro  boy  to  attend  him;  yet  there  was 
society  enough  in  front  of  the  house,  for  on  the  spot 
where  Uhl  and  I had  bivouacked,  three  families  were 
encamped,  all  bound  for  Texas. 

As  we  were  about  to  go  to  sleep,  an  old  man  came 
in,  saying  that  he  was  not  quite  well,  and  could  not 
bear  the  night  air,  and  requesting  permission  to  sleep 
in  the  house^  On  leave  being  granted,  he  spread  his 
blanket  before  the  fire,  sat  himself  on  it,  and  clasping 
his  left  knee  with  both  hands,  fixed  his  eyes  steadfastly 
on  the  blazing  logs.  The  negro  boy  sat  in  the  chimney 
corner,  staring  at  the  old  man,  who  at  first  took  no 
notice  of  him,  but  after  a time  he  turned  suddenly 
towards  him,  saying,  — “ Here,  good  lad,  I am  subject 
to  shocking  bad  dreams ; if  I begin  to  talk,  and  throw 
my  arms  about,  will  you  give  me  a good  shaking  ? ” The 
boy  nodded,  and  the  old  man  became  a much  more 
important  personage  in  his  estimation.  “ But  I sleep 
very  sound,  you  must  shake  me  well.”  The  boy  nodded 
again.  “ If  you  do  it  well,  I will  give  you  sixpence.” 
The  boy  grinned  as  well  as  nodded.  The  man  lay 
down  on  his  blanket,  and  the  boy  watched  him  as  a 
cat  watches  a mouse.  I could  not  sleep,  and  turned 
and  turned  in  vain ; at  length  I heard  a groan.  I 
thought  of  the  old  fellow  and  his  contract  with  the 
boy,  and  looked  to  see  if  the  latter  was  awake.  He 
was  on  his  knees  watching  his  charge  with  all  his 
might.  The  man  uttered  some  broken  words,  and 
17* 


198 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


raised  both  his  arms.  The  boy  had  only  waited  for 
this;  he  had  him  by  the  shoulder  in  an  instant,  and 
shaking  him  with  all  his  force,  called  out,  “ Master, 
master — -open  your  eyes,  master.”  The  man  awoke, 
and  saying,  “ Thank  you,”  was  about  to  turn  on  the 
other  side,  which  did  not  suit  the  boy : he  shook  him 
again.  “ I tell  you  I am  awake  ; do  you  want  to  shake 
the  soul  out  of  me  ? ” and  he  tried  to  get  to  sleep.  But 
Sambo  shook  him  again,  so  that  he  started  up  in  a 
rage,  asking,  “ What  do  you  go  on  shaking  me  for, 
when  I am  wide  awake  ? ” The  boy  jumped  back, 
frightened  by  the  threatening  expression  of  the  old 
fellow,  and  said,  trembling,  “I  — I — I — - want  that  six- 
pence ! ” Altogether,  it  was  too  much  for  my  gravity, 
and  I burst  into  a roar  of  laughter ; the  two  managed 
to  settle  their  differences,  and  I soon  afterwards  fell 
asleep. 

I was  early  on  the  march,  and  arrived  towards 
evening  at  a neat  comfortable  looking  house,  sur- 
rounded by  large  fields  of  cotton  and  Indian  corn, 
betokening  the  abode  of  a rich  planter ; on  receiving  a 
friendly  affirmative  to  my  inquiry  for  night  quarters, 
I placed  my  rifle  and  game  bag  in  the  corner,  and  sat 
myself  on  an  easy  chair  by  the  fire. 

Strangers  inquiring  for  night  quarters  must  never 
suppose  that  they  are  to  receive  them  gratuitously. 
The  usual  price  for  supper,  bed,  and  breakfast  — be  the 
same  good  or  bad  — is  half  a dollar ; but  at  Strong’s  I 
had  to  pay  a dollar,  which  was  an  imposition.  The 
charge  for  a horse  depends  on  the  neighborhood,  and 
the  price  of  Indian  corn.  In  the  swamps  it  was  half 


LADIES  IN  THE  FOREST. 


199 


a dollar ; in  Oiltrove  Bottom,  only  a quarter,  corn 
being  cheap  there ; further  south,  the  charge  was  higher, 
and  to  the  north-east  again  it  was  cheaper. 

On  my  entrance,  I perceived  that  there  were  ladies 
in  the  house.  I had  been  for  some  time  alone,  and 
as  it  grew  dark,  having  had  enough  of  my  own 
thoughts,  I took  out  my  zither,  and  began  to  play.  A 
negro  boy,  enticed  into  the  room  by  the  music,  soon 
ran  out  again,  probably  to  tell  his  mistress  what  a 
curious  sort  of  instrument  I was  playing  upon.  I soon 
had  an  invitation  to  join  the  ladies ; but  my  costume 
was  not  the  most  suitable  for  a drawing-room.  For 
months,  neither  razor  nor  scissors  had  approached  my 
head:  my  hunting-shirt  had  been  ten  months  in  wear, 
sorely  battered  by  wind  and  weather,  and  not  being  oi 
leather,  the  thorns  had  left  their  marks  in  many 
places  : my  leggins  and  water-proof  boots  were  pass- 
able : my  shirt,  of  my  own  washing  without  soap,  in 
cold  water,  boasted  various  shades  of  red,  from  turkey’s 
and  bear’s  blood,  which  is  much  more  difficult  to  wash 
out  than  that  of  deer. 

The  ladies  received  me  very  politely,  almost  too 
politely,  and  I began  to  play.  The  Americans  in 
general  have  little  feeling  for  German  music ; they  are 
a people  who  live  in  a hurry,  and  every  thing  must  go 
fast,  even  music:  when  they  hear  any  which  has  not 
the  time  of  a reel  or  hornpipe,  they  say  that  they  do 
not  understand  it.  The  more  educated  class  forms  an 
exception,  and  of  such  was  my  audience.  The  younger 
lady  was  the  owner’s  wife,  very  pretty,  though  pale ; 
but,  indeed,  I should  like  to  know  how  any  one  could 
live  in  these  vile  swamps  without  being  pale.  The 


200 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


elder,  a kindly,  venerable  matron,  seemed  to  be  on  a 
visit;  they  were  simply  but  tastefully  dressed,  as  is  the 
case  with  all  American  women,  even  of  the  lowest 
classes ; every  thing  in  the  room  seemed  neat  and 
orderly.  I passed  a few  very  agreeable  hours  there  ; 
they  were  very  much  pleased  with  the  instrument, 
having  seen  nothing  like  it  before ; and  as  they 
listened  with  marked  pleasure  to  the  sweet  German 
and  Scottish  airs,  it  seemed  as  if  they  could  never 
have  enough  of  it,  and  it  was  past  eleven  before  I got 
to  bed.  There  was  a piano  in  the  room,  but  it  had 
not  been  played  upon  sufficiently  to  perfect  its  tone. 

It  was  long  since  I had  enjoyed  the  pleasure  of 
accomplished  society,  and  I shall  never  forget  my 
friendly  reception  by  this  family. 

From  hence  to  Memphis  was  thirteen  miles,  with  a 
good  road,  and  by  two  in  the  afternoon  I was  again  on 
the  waves  of  the  Mississippi.  The  ferry  carried  me 
over  to  Tennessee,  Arkansas  lay  behind  me,  and  once 
more  I returned  to  civilized  society  from  the  wild  life 
of  the  backwoods;  but  who  can  decide  whether  to  a 
happier  one.  My  funds  had  fallen  so  low  that  I was 
obliged  to  look  out  for  work.  The  banks  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi  are  so  high  and  steep  at  Memphis,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Wolf  river,  that  the  town  cannot  be  seen 
from  the  stream.  The  steamers  deliver  their  passengers 
and  cargoes  on  board  wharf-boats,  formed  of  used-up 
steamboats  moored  to  the  banks. 

The  times  were  hard : I could  obtain  no  other  work 
than  to  cut  wood,  which,  with  my  weak  health  and 
unpractised  hand,  was  certainly  no  trifle  ; but  necessity 
is  a g jod  teacher.  I gained  half  a dollar  and  food  by 


UNEMPLOYED  HANDS  IN  CINCINNATI. 


201 


cutting  a cord  of  wood,  eight  feet  long,  four  feet  high, 
and  four  feet  deep,  at  a merchant’s,  who  had  a tract  of 
land  and  a saw-mill  about  two  miles  from  the  town. 
Although  hard  work  at  first,  yet  when  I got  used  to 
it,  I found  that  on  an  average  I could  cut  and  pile  a 
cord  a day. 

After  fourteen  days’  hard  work,  I resolved  to  go  to 
Cincinnati  for  my  letters,  and,  above  all,  to  recover  my 
health  in  its  superior  climate,  then  to  return  and  visit 
the  hills.  I had  cut  eighteen  cords,  and  as  the  man 
saw  that  I was  poor,  sickly,  and  in  a hurry  to  go 
away,  he  cheated  me  out  of  two  dollars  by  giving  me 
bad  coin,  a fact  which  I discovered  on  board  the  “ Per- 
sian ” steamer,  on  my  passage  to  Cincinnati.  I was 
kindly  received  by  all  my  old  friends,  and  established 
myself  in  a new  suit  of  clothes,  for  which,  however,  I 
had  to  run  in  debt. 

I looked  about  for  work ; every  tavern  in  the  place 
was  crammed  full  of  Germans,  ready  to  do  any  thing 
for  bare  food : whole  families  were  in  a helpless  state. 
Fine  stories  had  been  told  them  that  they  could  gain  a 
dollar  a day  for  every  sort  of  work,  and  when  they 
arrived,  farmers  were  paying  only  five  or  six  dollars  a 
month,  and  could  not  employ  four  fifths  of  the  appli- 
cants. I pitied  the  poor  creatures,  though  no  better 
ofi*  myself.  I took  many  a long  walk  in  vain,  looking 
for  employment,  when  Vogel  offered  me  an  occupation 
I should  never  have  thought  of  myself,  viz.,  making 
pill-boxes.  Vogel  thought  he  would  try  “ Emperor’s 
Pills,”  of  which  he  had  the  prescription.  He  was  very 
clever  in  such  matters,  but  he  required  little  round 
boxes,  resembling  the  original  as  imported.  We  set  to 


202 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


work  with  a will ; a carpenter  was  found  to  plane  the 
chips,  we  formed  the  tops  and  bottoms  with  a stamp, 
and  I colored  the  sides  with  logwood.  The  pill-box 
manufacture  was  soon  in  full  play,  and  I made  them  as 
if  I had  done  nothing  else  all  my  life.  But  all  things 
must  have  an  end,  even  the  manufacture  of  pill-boxes, 
and  my  genius  was  again  left  fallow  Yogel  came 
once  more  to  my  assistance,  and  I became  a chocolate 
maker,  gaining  a dollar  a day  by  pounding  it  in  an  iron 
mortar. 

Shortly  afterwards  I heard  of  a dealer  in  tobacco 
who  was  out  of  pipe-stems.  These  pipe-stems  are 
made  from  the  reeds  or  canes  growing  on  the  banks  of 
rivers,  and  other  moist  places  in  the  Southern  States, 
and  as  all  the  rivers  had  risen  very  high,  he  could  find 
no  one  to  venture  among  the  snakes  and  mosquitoes. 
This  was  something  more  in  my  way  than  sitting 
behind  a pestle  and  mortar. 

I bargained  with  a companion,  and,  with  a few 
dollars  in  our  pockets  to  cover  the  most  necessary  ex- 
penses, we  started  off  for  Tennessee,  by  the  “ Algonquin.5’ 
There  were  plenty  of  canes  at  one  of  the  places  where 
the  vessel  stopped  for  wood ; I jumped  on  shore,  and 
the  owner  of  the  wood,  who  dwelt  in  a small  house 
close  at  hand,  agreed  to  board  and  lodge  us  at  two 
dollars  a head  per  week.  We  at  once  landed  our  bag- 
gage, and  set  to  work  next  morning. 

These  reeds  grow  in  immense  thickets  on  the  banks 
of  the  Mississippi ; but  we  only  cut  the  smallest  for 
pipe-stems.  They  were  about  the  thickness  of  a large 
quill  just  above  the  root,  from  four  to  six  feet  long, 
the  joints  being  from  eight  to  sixteen  inches.  The 


CARD-PLAYING  IN  THE  CANE-BRAKE.  205 


leaves  are  green  in  summer  and  winter,  and  serve  as 
fodder  for  cattle.  We  stripped  off  the  leaves,  and 
bound  the  reeds  in  bundles  of  500,  which  make  a good 
armful,  and  rather  a heavy  one  when  green.  We 
sold  them  in  Cincinnati  for  two  and  a half  dollars  a 
bundle. 

The  man  on  whom  we  had  so*  summarily  quartered 
ourselves  was  very  civil  and  obliging,  and  we  were 
soon  good  friends.  To  enliven  the  long  evenings,  he 
luckily  happened  to  have  a pack  of  cards,  and  a relation 
of  his,  who  lived  at  some  distance,  used  to  come  in 
and  play  whist.  I often  wished  that  our  friends  at 
home  could  have  seen  us,  so  as  to  have  an  idea  of  the 
difference  of  a whist  party  in  Germany  and  one  near  a 
cane-brake  in  Tennessee : ours  had  at  least  the  advan- 
tage of  simplicity.  A very  roughly  hewn  table  was 
placed  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  the  seats  were  chairs 
or  boxes.  It  happened  that  the  mosquitoes  were  more 
formidable  here  than  I ever  found  them  anywhere 
else ; and  as  it  would  have  been  quite  impossible  to 
sit  still  under  the  constant  attacks  of  these  tormentors, 
an  iron  pot  with  glowing  charcoal  was  placed  under 
the  table ; a negro  boy  from  time  to  time  fed  it 
with  rotten  wood,  in  order  to  keep  up  a thick  smoke, 
which  rose  up  all  round  the  table,  and  was  by  no  means 
beneficial  to  the  eyes. 

Instead  of  wax  candles,  a long  stick  was  jammed 
between  two  of  the  boards  of  the  floor ; pork  fat  was 
then  cut  in  long  strips,  wound  round  with  cotton  rags, 
tied  to  the  stick  at  a moderate  height,  and  lighted. 
It  burnt  rather  dim,  but  gave  light  enough  to  show 
whether  the  colors  were  red  or  black,  when  the  card 


204 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


was  not  dirtier  than  usual,  and  the  smoke  was  not  so 
strong  as  to  draw  tears. 

We  had  also  great  fun  in  harpooning  buffalo-fish, 
which  make  for  the  swamps  when  the  river  is  high. 
The  land  here,  at  100  to  150  paces  from  the  river,  is 
lower  than  the  bank ; it  is  covered  with  water  in 
winter  and  spring,  and  dries  up  in  summer,  generating 
fever  and  disease,  besides  myriads  of  mosquitoes  and 
other  insects.  One  afternoon,  in  the  space  of  two  hours 
and  a half,  I caught  fifteen  fish,  of  which  the  smallest 
weighed  about  ten  pounds. 

Towards  the  end  of  April,  having  cut  18,000  canes, 
we  hailed  the  next  boat  that  passed,  embarked  our 
cargo,  and  landed  at  Cincinnati  on  the  30th.  Our 
canes  were  soon  sold,  and  they  were  still  in  demand. 
I had  a great  mind  to  make  another  voyage,  but 
resolved  next  time  to  go  alone  ; for  though  I found  my 
companion  very  willing  to  share  the  gains,  he  was  by 
no  means  so  ready  to  share  the  pains.  For  the  present, 
however,  I preferred  staying  a short  time  at  Cincinnati 
and  amusing  myself. 

I happened  to  fall  in  with  some  of  my  Jewish  fellow 
passengers  on  board  the  “ Constitution.”  Acting  on 
the  instructions  of  their  friends  and  countrymen  at 
New  York,  they  had  begun  to  trade  in  a small  way ; 
all  had  gained  something,  and  some  few  had  become 
comparatively  rich.  They  generally  begin  as  peddlers, 
stopping  at  every  farmhouse,  and  the  farmer  is  obliged 
to  buy  something  to  get  rid  of  them. 

As  the  rivers  were  still  rising,  I made  a second  trip 
to  the  canes.  I lrad  paid  all  my  debts,  and  had  some- 
thing in  hand.  Towards  the  end  of  May,  I embarked 


GERMAN  SETTLERS  DOWN  SOUTH. 


205 


on  board  the  “ Mediator,”  with  the  intention  of  going 
further  south  than  before,  as  the  canes  there  are  larger, 
and  I could  cut  some  for  fishing  rods,  from  thirty  to 
forty  feet  long,  and  1 J to  two  inches  thick. 

What  a view  presented  itself  on  leaving  the  Ohio  for 
the  Mississippi ! Of  Cairo,  a small  town  on  a point  of 
land  in  Illinois,  nothing  was  to  be  seen,  except  a 
hotel,  a manufactory,  and  a brick  house.  In  August 
the  water  subsided,  and  the  river  returned  to  its  bed, 
leaving  a thick  layer  of  sticky  mud  behind  it.  The 
sides  were  all  under  water,  except  some  hills  on  the  left 
bank,  but  no  canes  grew  there,  and  it  was  not  till  I 
reached  Louisiana,  where  the  u levee  ” begins,  that  I 
found  dry  land.  To  avoid  being  carried  to  New 
Orleans,  I landed  at  random,  and  found  myself  in  a 
French  settlement  with  numerous  plantations  close  to 
each  other.  I learned  from  a Creole  that  there  was  a 
German  settlement  further  down  the  river,  and  thither 
I directed  my  steps,  to  hear  something  about  the 
country.  I fell  in  with  a German  planter,  and  he 
directed  me  to  a German  inn-keeper  still  further  on. 
I received  a cordial  welcome  from  him  ; he  offered  me 
his  boat  to  row  over  to  the  opposite  bank,  where  I 
could  cut  as  many  canes  as  I chose. 

Next  morning  I made  a voyage  of  discovery,  and 
found  a beautiful  country,  but  mostly  under  water,  even 
to  the  canes,  which  grow  on  the  highest  parts  of  the 
marshes;  wherever  there  was  a spot  of  dry  land,  it 
swarmed  with  all  sorts  of  snakes,  and  the  air  was  thick 
with  mosquitoes.  However,  here  I was,  and  work  I 
must.  I cut  down  a great  number  of  beautiful  fishing- 
rods,  bound  them  together,  and  laid  them  on  one  of 
18 


206 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


the  highest  spots,  ready  to  carry  across  in  a larger 
boat. 

I passed  some  pleasant  weeks  here,  partly  in  the 
society  of  my  countrymen,  and  partly  engaged  in  my 
Work,  and  at  last  embarked  with  my  goods,  on  board 
the  steamer  “Independence,”  taking  cordial  leave  of 
my  new  friends,  and  particularly  of  my  kind  host,  who 
could  not  be  induced  to  receive  any  payment.  I landed 
first  at  Louisville,  and  disposed  of  a part  of  my  canes, 
then  took  the  rest  on  to  Cincinnati,  found  a ready 
sale,  and  was  once  more  free  to  do  as  I liked. 

The  Whigs  and  Democrats  were  at  this  time  more 
than  usually  violent,  abusing  each  other  in  the  public 
papers  and  thrashing  each  other  in  the  public  houses. 
The  Democrats  in  Cincinnati  (and  all  the  Germans 
were  Democrats)  had  carried  a measure  for  allowing 
German  to  be  taught  in  the  schools  as  well  as  English ; 
but  the  German  scholars  hung  back  from  the  office  of 
schoolmaster,  for  fear  of  the  examination  they  would 
have  to  undergo.  Under  these  circumstances,  some  of 
my  good  friends  persuaded  me  to  attempt  to  pass,  and 
take  a situation,  the  salary  being  from  twenty-five  to 
thirty  dollars  a month.  So  I resolved  to  try  it,  if  only 
for  the  fun  of  the  thing. 

But  for  this  purpose  it  was  necessary  to  devote  some 
time  to  study,  as  my  knowledge  of  English  grammar 
was  none  of  the  best,  and  much  of  my  scholarship  had 
evaporated  in  the  backwoods. 

The  formidable  day  at  length  arrived.  The  can- 
didates were  two  Germans  besides  myself,  and  three 
Americans,  besides  five  or  six  young  women  for  the 
female  schools.  I had  forwarded  notice  of  my  wish 


THE  GREAT  SCHOOL  EXAMINATION. 


207 


to  become  a candidate  towards  the  end  of  July,  to- 
gether with  a certificate  of  my  moral  character  from  a 
citizen  of  the  town,  which  my  former  employer,  the 
silversmith,  was  kind  enough  to  give  me.  I stepped 
with  a light  heart  into  the  hall,  for  I really  did  not 
much  care  whether  I passed  or  not.  The  examiners 
were  five  very  respectable  looking  gentlemen ; as  the 
others  seemed  inclined  to  hang  back,  I very  gallantly 
stepped  forward.  One  of  the  examiners  said  he  should 
begin  with  geography,  and  addressed  me  as  follows : — 
u Now,  Mr.  Kresdegger ; ” “ Gerstaecker,  sir.”  “ Oh, 
excuse  me ; now,  Mr.  Kerseker,  will  you  be  so  kind  as 
to  give  us  the  boundaries  of  Ohio.”  “ Yes,  sir ; on  the 
north,”  &c.  &c.  It  was  all  conducted  in  this  courteous 
manner,  and  all  answered  the  questions,  except  one  of 
the  Germans.  They  then  began  upon  Germany, 
asking  me,  from  what  state  I came?  “ From  Saxony.” 
“ How  is  Saxony  divided  ? ” “ Into  five  districts.” 

“ What  are  their  names  ? ” To  save  my  life,  I could 
not  on  the  instant  remember,  but  my  impudence  car- 
ried me  through.  Taking  it  for  granted  that  my 
examiner  knew  no  better  than  myself,  especially  as  he 
had  no  book,  I answered  gravely : “ Leipzig,  Dresden, 
Grimma,  Meissen,  and  Oschatz ; ” with  which  he  was 
perfectly  satisfied,  though  one  of  my  compatriots  was 
obliged  to  bite  his  lips  to  preserve  his  gravity.  After 
a little  more  geography  we  came  to  grammar,  spelling, 
arithmetic,  and  writing;  we  were  then  dismissed,  and 
directed  to  apply  on  the  following  Wednesday.  On 
Wednesday  we  had  a fresh  examination,  rather  more 
tedious  than  the  first,  and  then  we  were  referred  to 
the  5th  August.  All  passed,  excepting  one  of  my 


208 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


countrymen,  who  remarked  that,  as  they  had  given 
him  no  certificate,  he  supposed  that  they  had  forgotten 
him. 

This  affair  had  detained  me  longer  than  I had  at 
first  intended,  and  I now  prepared  for  another  cane 
trip.  This  time  I went  no  further  than  Tennessee,  a 
little  below  my  old  ground,  and  lodged  with  a relation 
of  my  former  host. 

After  a few  days,  some  of  the  neighbors  and  my 
host  proposed  a shooting  party  to  the  Tironia,  in 
Arkansas,  and  as  they  intended  to  be  only  fourteen 
days  absent,  I agreed  to  join  them,  obtained  the  loan 
of  a horse  and  rifle,  and  was  in  a few  days  once  again 
in  Arkansas.  We  remained  about  a week  at  the 
junction  of  the  Tironia  with  Big  Creek,  and  shot  three 
bears ; but  the  season  was  the  most  unfavorable  that 
we  could  have  selected.  They  were  not  only  very 
thin,  but  their  skins  foxy  and  useless.  While  here 
we  happened  to  fall  in  with  a young  man  named 
Woodsworth,  who  wished  to  go  to  my  old  swamps  of 
Baz  de  Yiew,  and  Cash  river,  to  try  for  buffalo,  these 
marshes  being  now  dry.  Nothing  could  have  presented 
itself  more  opportunely.  My  comrades  were  soon  per- 
suaded, and  in  five  days  we  were  in  the  buffalo  feeding 
grounds. 

After  three  days’  fruitless  search,  we  came  upon  a 
herd  of  sixteen,  a cow  and  a calf  in  the  rear.  We  all 
fired  at  the  cow,  in  hopes  of  taking  the  calf  alive.  The 
cow  fell,  after  making  a few  bounds,  but  to  our  great 
annoyance,  the  wild  fat  calf  threw  up  his  tail,  galloped 
after  the  rest,  and  was  soon  out  of  sight. 

Oh,  what  a feast  we  had  ! Well  tanned  sole-leather 


SPECULATION  IN  CANES. 


209 


would  have  been  a delicacy  in  comparison;  the  mar- 
row was  the  only  part  good  for  any  thing.  My  host  and 
Woods  worth  cut  the  skin  lengthwise,  in  two  halves, 
and  each  took  a half  on  , their  horses.  W e then  turned 
to  the  north-east,  and  rode,  without  entering  a house, 
to  Memphis,  crossed  the  Mississippi,  and  rode  home  by 
the  left  bank.  So  at  last,  I had  been  at  a buffalo  hunt ! 
and  had  had  hard  fagging,  little  pleasure,  and  no 
advantage.  Whenever  I looked  at  the  skin,  I thought 
of  little  Magnus,  the  distiller. 

I set  to  work  on  the  canes  again,  and  by  the  middle 
of  October  had  cut  about  30,000,  shipped  them  on 
board  the  steamer  “ Buckeye,”  and  returned  to  Cin- 
cinnati ; but  this  supply  overstocked  the  market  there, 
so  I took  them  to  Pittsburg,  in  Pennsylvania,  selling 
some  at  the  small  towns  on  the  Ohio  on  my  way.  I 
drove  a good  trade  with  them  at  Pittsburg,  and  stayed 
no  longer  than  was  necessary,  on  account  of  the  coal- 
dust  and  smoke.  Like  Cincinnati,  the  place  was 
crowded  with  Germans  out  of  work.  On  my  return 
to  Cincinnati,  I lived  for  some  time  at  my  ease. 

18  * 


CHAPTER  Yin. 


FARMING-  AT  FOURCHE  LE  FAYE A BACKWOODS 

“ FROLIC  ” RESIDENCE  AT  KELFER’s  FARM  — - 

SCHOOLS HUNTING  EXCURSION. 

The  Ohio — Partnership  in  farming — Fourche  Le  Fave — Mr.  Kelfer 

— Congress  land  — My  cooking  operations  — Pig-killing  — Decoys 
used  in  shooting  turkeys  — Shooting  by  night  — Salt  licks  — Mos- 
quitoes and  ticks  — Dissensions  on  our  farm  — A grand  “ frolic  ” 

— Canoe  voyage  through  the  woods  — Sickness  — Kelfer  and  his 
family — Sessions  at  Fourche  le  Fave — Shooting  expedition  with 
Slowtrap  — Reserve  of  the  Americans  — Adventures  of  the  early 
settlers  with  Indians  — Raccoon  shooting  — Bee-hunting  with 
bait  — Tempest  — Panther-hunting. 

Haying  received  a letter  from  Rutkin,  in  Louisiana, 
with  whom  I had  passed  some  pleasant  days,  inviting 
me  to  visit  him,  and  intending  to  return  to  Arkansas 
to  shoot  (but  to  the  hills  in  the  west,  instead  of  the 
swamps),  and  having  nothing  to  detain  me,  I accepted 
die  invitation,  and  taking  a hearty  leave  of  all  friends, 
t was  soon  once  more  on  my  way  to  the  south. 

The  steamer  “Artisan,”  with  cattle,  poultry,  flour, 
whiskey,  and  passengers,  carried  me  down  the  beautiful 
Ohio.  It  was  very  cold ; and  as  we  lay  at  Louisville, 
taking  in  more  cargo,  it  began  to  snow  hard.  By  the 
time  we  had  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  the  snow 
was  eight  inches  deep,  and  continued  so  as  far  as 
(210) 


PARTNERSHIP  WITH  RUTKIN. 


211 


Memphis ; nor  did  it  entirely  disappear  till  we  had  passed 
Natchez. 

The  nights  were  very  dark,  and  the  boat  landed  me 
seven  or  eight  miles  above  the  right  place,  so  I had  to 
walk  to  Rutkin’s,  leaving  my  baggage  at  a plantation, 
and  calling  for  it  next  day. 

Rutkin  gave  me  a cordial  reception.  He  was  on  the 
point  of  selling  his  hotel  at  Pointe  Coupee,  and  remov- 
ing, with  all  his  family,  to  Arkansas,  as  the  climate  of 
Louisiana  did  not  agree  with  them.  Two  friends,  Hal- 
ler and  Kean,  were  to  join  him,  the  former  with  a 
family. 

Early  in  January  we  went  up  the  stream  in  the 
steamer  u Amazon  ” to  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas,  and 
started  from  thence  by  one  of  the  smaller  boats  that 
run  from  its  mouth,  through  the  dark  forests,  to  the 
western  forts.  Our  first  point  was  Little  Rock,  from 
whence  we  intended  to  go  to  Fort  Smith,  on  the  west 
frontier,  leaving  the  women  and  children  till  a house 
was  prepared  for  them. 

Rutkin  had  a capital  of  about  4,000  dollars,  and  the 
others  0,000  amongst  them.  It  was  arranged  that  we 
should  all  settle  on  our  tract  of  land,  and  cultivate  it 
together,  R.  taking  a stock  of  goods  for  trading,  which 
was  also  to  be  carried  on  in  common,  he  receiving  four 
per  cent,  for  his  outlay.  As  the  money  was  at  his  dis- 
posal, he  was  to  a certain  degree  our  chief,  but  we  were 
all  on  good  terms  with  each  other. 

We  heard  Fourche  le  Fave  very  highly  spoken  of, 
and  particularly  the  land  in  its  neighborhood.  We 
went  to  look  at  the  place,  and  were  well  received  by  a 
settler  there,  Mr.  Kelfer.  He  rode  over  the  country 


212 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


with  us,  showed  us  every  thing  that  was  to  be  seen,  and 
did  all  in  his  power  to  make  our  visit  agreeable.  We 
could  not  see  much  of  the  land  for  snow,  but  K.  assured 
us  that  it  was  very  good,  the  pasture  excellent,  and  the 
shooting  also  good.  K.  seemed  likely  to  make  a pleas- 
ant neighbor,  and  we  soon  came  to  terms.  There  were 
two  dwelling-houses,  with  two  fields  not  far  apart,  be- 
longing to  an  American  named  Wilson,  who  was,  as 
usual,  willing  to  sell.  In  half  an  hour  the  matter  was 
settled,  250  dollars,  Arkansas  paper  currency,  being 
paid  for  the  whole.  There  were  two  other  fields,  mak- 
ing altogether  about  thirteen  or  fourteen  acres  of  arable 
land,  fenced  in.  The  house  furthest  from  the  river  was 
a very  good  one. 

It  has  to  be  noticed  that  this  was  Congress  land; 
that  is,  it  belonged  to  the  United  States  government, 
and  the  first  settler  on  it  has  a prior  right  to  purchase 
it,  called  in  American  law  “ preemption  right.”  The 
advantages  of  this  system  to  the  settler  are  as  follows : 
he  may  settle  on  the  land  and  cultivate  it  as  his  own, 
no  one  having  a right  to  turn  him  off,  till  it  has  been 
surveyed  and  announced  for  sale  in  the  Govern- 
ment Gazette.  He  then  has  the  right  of  purchasing  a 
quarter  section,  or  160  acres,  or  even  as  little  as  forty 
acres  at  the  rate  of  a dollar  and  a quarter  an  acre,  even 
though  another  should  bid  a larger  sum  for  it.  This 
right  Wilson  transferred  to  us  with  his  “ improve- 
ments.” 

« After  concluding  the  purchase,  we  all  came  to  Little 
Rock.  Rutkin  and  Keen  went  to  Louisiana  to  bring 
over  the  families,  while  Haller  and  I bought  provisions, 
and  returned  to  Fourche  le  Fave.  Little  Rock  was  much 


REMOVING  GOODS  BY  CANOE. 


213 


increased  and  improved  since  I first  saw  it  two  years 
ago,  but  the  place  never  pleased  me. 

Our  house  being  near  the  river,  we  required  a boat, 
partly  to  carry  out  goods  from  Little  Rock  to  the  place 
of  destination,  thirty  miles  up  the  Arkansas,  and  forty 
miles  up  the  Fourche  le  Fave,  and  partly  to  carry  us 
occasionally  across  the  river.  We  obtained  a very  good 
one  for  ten  dollars,  loaded  it  with  flour,  potatoes,  coffee, 
sugar,  some  carpenter’s  tools,  and  a puppy  that  had 
been  given  me,  and  which  I meant  to  break  in,  and 
rowed  away  in  good  spirits  towards  our  new  home. 

We  entered  the  Fourche  le  Fave  on  the  evening  of  the 
second  day,  hoping  to  reach  a house,  said  to  be  about 
seven  miles  up  the  stream ; but  we  could  not  find  the 
smallest  spot  fit  for  a human  habitation,  and  landed  on 
a projecting  rock,  quite  tired,  between  nine  and  ten 
o’clock.  As  it  had  rained  all  day,  this  was  the  only 
clean  spot  we  could  find ; and  the  stone  was  so  small 
that  we  were  obliged  to  rest  our  feet  in  the  boat,  to  keep 
them  out  of  the  water. 

Next  day  it  rained  harder,  and  we  were  very  glad 
to  get  to  a house  before  dark,  where  we  were  in 
some  measure  protected  from  the  tremendous  rain. 
I say  in  some  measure,  because  the  roof  was  none  of 
the  best,  the  rain  dropping  on  my  face  and  neck ; 
luckily,  before  dark,  I had  espied  an  old  cotton  umbrella 
in  a corner  (no  common  article  in  a block-house),  and 
slept  comfortably  enough  for  the  rest  of  the  night  under 
its  shelter. 

We  arrived  next  evening  at  Kelfer’s  farm,  where  we 
were  hospitably  received,  and  reached  our  place  of  des- 
tination on  the  day  following.  The  four  naked  walls 


214 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


looked  dreary  enough  at  first,  but  we  soon  made  our- 
selves comfortable.  We  had  nothing  to  do  but  to 
repair  the  fences,  and  wait  till  the  weather  was  cold 
enough  to  preserve  meat,  and  to  buy  and  kill  pigs  for 
both  families  for  the  winter.  Soon  after  our  arrival,  I 
had  happened  to  fall  upon  the  slippery  bank  of  the 
river,  and  tore  open  my  left  hand,  and  afterwards,  as  I 
was  chopping  a plank  with  my  tomahawk,  not  being 
able  to  hold  it  properly,  it  slipped,  and  I smashed  one 
of  my  fingers.  Haller  tore  up  one  of  my  shirts  to  bind 
the  wound,  and  as  I could  now  for  awhile  do  nothing 
else,  I attended  to  the  cooking,  which  was  carried  on  as 
follows : first,  we  had  a cask  of  wheat  flour,  of  which  I 
made  bread  for  every  meal ; secondly,  corned  pork,  cut  in 
thin  slices  and  fried  ; and  lastly,  coffee.  The  sugar  was 
kept  in  a paper  parcel  on  a shelf,  and  each  helped  himself. 
At  dinner,  a glass  of  whiskey  was  substituted  for  the 
coffee.  After  about  three  weeks,  being  in  a rage  with 
something,  I threw  the  fryingpan  out  at  the  door, 
whereby  its  handle  was  broken,  and  it  was  rendered 
by  no  means  more  convenient  to  cook  with  ; then 
Haller  one  day  made  a false  step,  and  stumbled  on  the 
coffee-pot,  which,  in  consequence,  had  to  be  stopped  with 
a little  paste  every  morning.  The  washing-up  I found 
more  disagreeable  than  the  cooking. 

Meantime,  my  hand  had  got  better.  The  weather 
set  in  very  cold,  and  we  resolved  to  kill  and  salt  the 
pigs  we  had  bought,  weighing  about  200  pounds  each. 
A young  American,  whom  we  had  engaged  to  help  us, 
cut  down  a large  sassafras  tree,  and  hollowed  out  half 
a dozen  troughs,  five  for  the  meat,  and  one  for  the  lard. 

The  neighbors  were  called  in  to  help,  the  pigs  driven 


215 


SCALDING  PIGS  “ ARKANSAS  FASHION.” 

into  the  enclosure,  shot,  stuck,  scalded,  cleaned,  and 
carried  into  the  house.  Not  having  any  large  caldron 
to  scald  them,  it  was  done  Arkansas  fashion.  -A  cask 
with  the  head  out  was  half  sunk  in  the  earth,  and 
filled  with  cold  water,  and  a large  fire  was  made  close 
by  and  covered  with  stones.  TThen  these  were  hot 
enough,  they  were  thrown  into  the  water,  and  the  cask 
covered  with  a blanket.  The  water  was  soon  hot 
enough  for  our  purpose : the  pig  was  dipped  once  or 
twice  in  the  water,  and  five  or  six  pairs  of  hands  soon 
removed  all  the  bristles.  By  evening  all  was  finished, 
and  part  of  the  fat  laid  aside,  out  of  reach  of  the  dogs, 
for  making  soap.  The  good  people  who  came  to  help 
us,  now  set-to  to  drink,  assisted-  by  Haller,  so  that  in 
the  course  of  an  hour  and  a half,  none  of  them  knew 
exactly  whether  he  was  standing  on  his  head  or  his 
feet.  As  soon  as  they  were  all  screwed  up,  I laid  one 
in  each  trough,  and  left  them  to  repose.  Before  it 
came  to  this,  Haller  and  the  young  American  had 
sworn  eternal  friendship,  clasped  each  other  round  the 
neck,  mutually  supported  each  other  to  prevent  their 
falling  on  the  stupid  staggering  ground,  till  at  last  they 
went  down  like  a couple  of  flour-sacks.  Next  day  the 
pigs  were  cut  up,  salted,  and  suspended  in  the  smoking 
house.  In  the  evening  we  went  to  our  next  neighbor 
to  borrow  a caldron,  to  melt  down  the  fat ; but  when  I 
went  to  get  it,  a large  quantity,  of  fat  had  vanished,  not 
through  the  dogs,  but  through  wolves,  whose  trail  I 
plainly  traced  through  the  soft  sand  near  the  river,  not 
fifteen  paces  from  the  house ; but  enough  was  left  for 
our  purpose. 

I was  now  well  enough  to  shoot  again,  and  had  good 


216 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


sport  with  the  turkeys,  rising  before  daybreak,  station- 
ing myself  near  their  roost,  and  remaining  quite  still 
till  early  dawn,  then  imitating  the  voice  of  the  night- 
owl.  The  indignant  turkey  begins  to  gobble  with 
great  force,  and  betrays  his  whereabouts ; by  creeping 
noiselessly  near  his  perch,  he  may  be  easily  knocked  over 
before  broad  daylight.  If  the  day  should  be  too  far 
advanced  for  the  sportsman  to  gain  upon  him  unper- 
ceived, he  must  crouch  behind  a fallen  tree,  or  other 
cover,  and  use  a decoy-pipe,  made  from  the  second  bone 
of  the  hen  turkey’s  wing,  split  a little  on  both  sides. 
One  end  of  this  he  applies  to  his  mouth,  keeping  the 
other  end  in  the  hollow  of  his  hands.  As  soon  as 
the  cock  hears  it,  he  flies  down,  gobbling  furiously,  and 
struts  towards  the  sound,  with  his  wings  trailing  along 
the  ground,  his  comb  and  wattles  in  full  bloom,  and 
his  tail  spread  out.  He  sometimes  will  come  so  near 
that  the  sportsman  is  obliged  to  give  a short  whistle  to 
check  him,  because  it  is  very  difficult  to  hit  him  in  the 
right  place  with  a single  ball  when  his  feathers  are  all 
ruffled.  On  hearing  the  whistle  he  pulls  up  short, 
looks  round  suspiciously,  and  utters  a warning  K-t-t-t. 
Now  fire,  or  good-by  turkey.  This  sport  was  so 
attractive,  that  I hardly  let  a morning  pass  without 
bringing  home  a turkey ; but  it  was  long  before  I was 
perfect  in  my  practice,  and  I lost  many  a shot  by  a false 
note,  or  heedless  noise. 

At  the  end  of  two  months,  Kean  arrived  early  one 
morning  with  the  news  that  Rutkin’s  and  Haller’s 
families  were  in  a large  flat-bottomed  boat,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Fourche  le  Fave.  Haller  took  the  boat 
immediately  to  join  them,  leaving  Kean  with  me. 


SHOOTING  DEER  BY  NIGHT. 


217 


Fresh  life  came  with  the  new  arrivals : Ruthin  brought 
a quantity  of  wares  with  him,  which  were  all  stowed 
in  a house  we  had  built  for  the  purpose.  They  con- 
sisted chiefly  of  coffee,  sugar,  salt,  powder,  lead,  cot- 
tons, &c.,  &c.,  all  to  be  sold  for  ready  money ; but  as 
ready  money  was  one  of  those  things  which  were  very 
scarce  in  Arkansas,  a system  of  barter  was  opened, 
and  cattle,  pigs,  horses,  salt  meat,  butter,  poultry,  eggs, 
skins,  and  smoked  venison,  were  exchanged  for  the 
said  articles,  and  conveyed  to  Little  Rock,  to  be  again 
sold  or  exchanged.  This  part  of  the  business  was 
intrusted  to  me. 

Rutkin  took  on  some  more  workmen,  and  the  land 
was  prepared  for  corn.  I was  again  passionately  fond 
of  shooting,  and  had  capital  sport.  As  my  days  were 
generally  occupied,  it  was  carried  on  at  night,  as  fol- 
lows : the  handle  of  a frying-pan  is  lengthened  to 
about  four  feet  by  means  of  a narrow  board ; the  pan 
is  filled  with  kindlers  and  set  alight  — then  taking  it  on 
your  shoulder,  and  your  rifle  in  your  hand,  you  are 
ready  for  sport.  If  alone,  you  must  take  a store  of 
kindlers  to  replenish  the  fire.  For  the  sake  of  a better 
aim,  a small  crutch  is  cut  in  the  end  of  the  wooden 
handle,  to  rest  the  rifle.  The  fire  being  kept  behind 
your  head,  the  eyes  of  the  game  will  glow  like  balls 
of  fire : the  deer,  accustomed  to  the  frequent  fires  in 
the  forest,  are  not  alarmed.  When  first  discovered,  if 
at  about  100  paces,  the  eyes  will  look  like  a single 
ball,  but  the  two  become  distinct  on  a nearer  approach, 
which  the  sportsman  must  make  with  as  little  noise  as 
possible,  and,  if  possible,  against  the  wind.  When 
near  enough,  he  lays  his  rifle  in  rest,  and  aims  between 
19 


218 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


the  eyes,  or,  if  he  can  distinguish  the  outline  of  the  form, 
at  the  heart ; and  he  is  generally  sure  of  his  game. 

There  were  numbers  of  salt-licks  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  Fourche  le  Fave,  which  were  much  visited  by  deer 
and  cattle.  The  former  generally  come  in  the  night, 
so  that  the  sportsman  may  take  up  a station  under  a 
scaffold,  on  the  top  of  which  a fire  is  made.  Four 
posts  are  driven  into  the  ground,  five  feet  apart,  and 
beams  laid  across,  covered  with  a layer  of  leaves  or 
moss,  then  a layer  of  sand  or  earth,  on  which  the  fire 
is  made.  The  sportsman  sits  underneath  in  impene- 
trable darkness,  yet  able  to  see  for  seventy  or  eighty 
paces  on  all  sides,  and  easily  kills  any  deer  approaching 
the  lick. 

Many  a night  I lay  in  the  mild  warm  air  of  the 
forest.  Sweet  and  refreshing  as  was  the  face  of  nature, 
all  was  not  repose ; mosquitoes  and  ticks  almost  drove 
me  to  despair.  When  the  fire  was  once  well  alight, 
the  mosquitoes  were  attracted  by  it,  and  destroyed 
themselves  by  thousands,  but  the  ticks  became  the 
more  furious.  They  swarm  in  the  woods  about  the 
end  of  April,  and  are  a dreadful  torment  to  the  new- 
comer. The  full-grown  ticks,  about  the  size  of  a small 
shot,  are  not  the  worst,  because  when  they  bite  they 
may  be  caught  and  killed ; but  in  July,  the  seed-ticks, 
smaller  than  poppy  seeds,  cover  the  bushes  by  millions, 
and  I have  often  almost  lost  myself  under  them. 
Tobacco  smoke  is  the  only  safeguard  against  them,  as 
it  kills  them  at  once.  The  poor  cattle  are  dreadfully 
tormented  by  them,  particularly  when  they  get  into 
their  ears.  The  first  cold  drives  them  away,  though  a 
few  may  be  found  all  through  the  winter. 


DISAGREEMENT  WITH  RUTKIN. 


219 


Meantime  the  work  of  the  farm  went  on,  and  the 
maize  was  planted ; but  a change  came  over  the  spirit 
of  our  society.  Rutkin,  who  had  hitherto  been  friendly 
and  good-natured,  became  snappish  and  domineering, 
and  once  or  twice  ventured  to  give  me  orders  in  a 
tone  that  I did  not  choose  to  bear  ; but  as  he  had  been 
only  a short  time  in  Arkansas,  I made  excuses  for  him, 
laughed  at  him,  took  my  gun,  and  absented  myself  for 
above  twenty-four  hours.  On  my  return,  he  was 
always  wise  enough  to  act  as  if  nothing  had  happened, 
and  to  see  that  giving  orders  wras  of  no  use.  He  had 
also  frequent  disputes  with  Kean.  Haller  agreed  with 
him  best,  because  he  always  flattered  him,  and  coincided 
with  him  before  his  face,  though  this  was  by  no  means 
the  case  behind  his  back. 

One  day  when  I was  out  shooting,  R.  attacked  K., 
who  was  small  and  slight.  To  avenge  himself,  Kean 
took  down  his  rifle,  and  would  have  shot  Rutkin,  had 
not  Haller  thrown  himself  between  them.  Our  friendly 
relations  were  now  quite  broken  up.  Kean  came  over 
to  Haller’s,  where  I was  living,  and  we  withdrew  from 
the  partnership,  which  was  more  than  R.  had  reckoned 
on,  as,  knowing  the  state  of  our  finances,  he  thought 
he  had  us  under  his  thumb.  He  did  not  consider 
that  I had  a rifle,  that  there  was  plenty  of  game  in 
Arkansas,  and  that  there  was  a river  running  to  New 
Orleans,  where  Kean,  who  was  an  excellent  accountant, 
could  make  sure  of  a good  situation. 

We  were  soon  ready  to  start.  I was  to  take  K.’s 
things  in  a canoe  to  Little  Rock,  while  he  was  to  follow 
on  horseback.  But  the  4th  of  July  approached, 
on  which  day  a farmer  on  the  Fourche  le  Fave  was 


220 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


going  to  give  a grand  entertainment  — or  frolic,  as  it  is 
called  — in  hopes  of  being  chosen  as  a member  of  the 
legislature  at  the  next  election.  We  decided  on  waiting 
to  be  present  at  it. 

These  frolics  generally  take  place  in  Spring.  When 
a farmer  calls  his  neighbors  together  to  collect  and 
burn  all  the  wood  he  has  cut  down,  it  is  called  a “ log 
rolling  frolic ; ” and  when  the  women  assemble  to  sew 
together  a number  of  different  colored  patches,  it  is 
called  a “ quilting  frolic ; ” and  in  the  evening,  there  is 
generally  a dance,  or  a game  of  forfeits. 

I had  hitherto  never  been  present  at  any  of  these 
frolics,  for  I had  rather  avoided  the  throng  of  men; 
but  as  I was  about  to  return  to  the  woods,  where  I 
should  perhaps  see  nothing  of  social  life  for  months,  I 
resolved  to  see  men  enjoy  themselves  for  once. 

The  4th  of  July  arrived,  and  at  about  ten  o’clock  in 
the  morning  I lounged  towards  the  place  of  destina- 
tion, leaving  my  rifle  at  home.  The  strong  attraction 
of  some  whortleberries  detained  me  some  time  on  the 
road,  so  that  I did  not  arrive  till  noon.  Here  all  was 
in  movement ; the  whole  neighborhood  had  assem- 
bled, and  the  rough  backwoodsmen  formed  many  strange 
groups ; some  in  hunting-shirts,  like  myself ; some  in 
woollen  homespun  coats  — but  the  greater  number  with- 
out their  upper  garments.  Several  fires  were  lighted, 
and  cooking  was  going  on  in  various  modes,  while,  in  a 
shady  place  near  the  house,  a group  of  women  were 
occupied  in  boiling  a u powerful  long  coffee.” 

The  sound  of  a solitary  fiddle  had  been  perceptible 
at  a distance,  and  sure  enough,  when  I arrived,  I 
found  dancing  going  on  amongst  the  younger  folk,  in 


A BACKWOODS  “FROLIC.” 


221 


one  of  the  wings  of  the  double  house.  I had  never 
succeeded  in  acquiring  the  dances  of*  my  own  country, 
much  less  the  extraordinary  movements  of  those  of 
America ; so  I amused  myself  with  looking  on,  and 
watching  the  arrivals,  who  thronged  in  from  all  ends 
and  corners  of  the  State.  A great  number  of  the  young 
women  were  light  and  graceful  figures,  and  looked  very 
interesting  on  horseback,  their  cheeks  flushed  with  their 
quick  ride.  But  they  seemed  as  if  they  were  going  on 
a pilgrimage,  instead  of  coming  to  a ball,  — for  each  fair 
dame  had  a bundle  of  tolerable  size  at  her  saddle-bow  ; 
some  of  them  were  already  known  to  me,  and  I assisted 
them  to  alight. 

Meantime  a long  table  was  laid  out  before  the  house, 
and  surrounded  with  chairs,  benches,  &c. ; but  as  it  was 
impossible  for  all  to  find  seats  at  once,  the  ladies  were 
accommodated  firsthand  waited  upon  by  the  gentlemen. 
The  dinner  consisted  of  roast  beef,  roast  pork,  potatoes, 
sweet  potatoes,  maize  bread,  cakes,  and  coffee  and  milk, 
and  went  off  very  well.  Rutkin  had  brought  a case  of 
wine  for  the  ladies,  which  was  soon  emptied.  After 
dinner,  a speech  was  made  to  the  assembled  public, 
in  honor  of  the  birth -day  of  the  United  States,  and 
then  dancing  commenced  again.  Picturesque  groups 
were  formed  here  and  there,  occupied  in  various  ways. 
In  one  place,  a party  of  strong-built,  sufi-burnt  figures 
lounged  at  full  length  on  the  grass,  relating  their  shoot- 
ing adventures  ; further  on,  two  figures,  astride  a fallen 
tree,  were  playing  a game  of  cards ; in  another  place, 
a party  leaping  with  a heavy  stone  in  each  hand,  to 
give  them  more  impetus ; and  a row  of  big  fellows 
were  taking  their  siesta  under  the  trees,  only  moving 
19* 


222 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST* 


to  avoid  the  too  intrusive  rays  of  the  sun,  as  he  de- 
clined towards  the  west.  Kean  and  I sauntered  about 
amongst  the  various  groups,  and  occasionally  visited 
the  ball-room  — if  the  interior  of  a log-house,  about 
sixteen  feet  by  twenty,  can  be  so  called.  The  air 
within  was  hot,  almost  to  suffocation,  but  the  sight 
was  at  times  too  pretty,  at  times  too  comic  to  be  quick- 
ly deserted.  Indeed,  most  of  the  girls,  beating  time 
with  their  little  feet  in  jigs,  reels,  and  hornpipes,  were 
pretty  enough  to  chain  to  the  spot  any  worshipper  of 
natural  beauty.  My  attention  was  soon  attracted  by 
an  American ; — tall,  very  thin,  and  rather  weak  in  the 
knee-joints ; — he  was  buttoned  up  in  a dark-blue  dress 
coat,  with  light-blue  seams,  and  yelloV  buttons,  — a 
long  roll  of  tobacco  stuck  out  from  one  of  his  pockets 
which,  in  the  energy  of  his  jumps,  he  occasionally 
kicked  with  his  heels ; to  prevent  its  being  damaged, 
he  therefore  transferred  it  to  the  breast  of  his  coat : the 
best  of  the  figure  was  the  cravat,  which  was  so  formed, 
that  his  head  looked  like  a cup  placed  in  a very  large 
and  deep  saucer ; his  chin  was  never  in  sight,  and  as 
he  jumped,  mouth,  nose,  and  eyes  disappeared  behind 
the  black  bulwark. 

Towards  evening  I joined  in  a game  of  cards. 
Whiskey  bottles  passed  round,  and  many  of  the  party 
were  right  merry.  Having  had  enough  of  cards,  I 
returned  to  the  dancing,  which  had  undergone  some 
interruption ; but  the  shrill  tones  of  the  violino  solo 
were  again  heard,  as  I squeezed  through  the  crowd  at 
the  door,  into  one  of  the  corners  right  opposite  to  the 
musician.  This  functionary  was  in  a rather  capricious 
humor  passing  abruptly  from  the  wildest  allegro  to 


RELAYS  OF  FIDDLERS. 


223 


the  most  dolorous  of  the  dolefuls,  and  then  breaking 
off  suddenly  to  ask  me  for  a quid  of  tobacco.  On  my 
answering  that  I had  none,  he  inflicted  a couple  of 
rough  strokes  on  his  poor  instrument,  expressed,  in 
coarse  language,  a most  disagreeable  wish  respecting 
the  eyes  of  all  the  company,  on  account  of  the  dryness 
of  his  throat,  which  had  only  had  the  contents  of  two 
bottles  of  whiskey  down  it,  looked  wildly  round,  began 
to  cry,  and  fell  sobbing  on  the  neck  of  the  thin  man  in 
the  blue  coat,  burying  his  head  in  the  large  cravat. 
He  was  seized  by  the  arms  and  legs,  and  unceremo- 
niously carried  out. 

Dancing,  of  course,  ceased  during  this  little  inter- 
mezzo, and  one  of  the  party  offered  to  find  a sober 
fiddler ; but  as  the  amusement  would  have  been  inter- 
rupted too  long  by  waiting  for  him,  a tall  lad  placed 
himself  in  front  of  the  chimney,  turned  up  his  sleeves 
with  the  utmost  gravity,  bent  his  knees  a little,  and 
began  slapping  them  in  time  with  the  palms  of  his 
hands ; in  two  minutes  all  was  going  on  with  as  much 
spirit  as  before. 

At  length  the  promised  musician  arrived,  not  how- 
ever in  the  promised  condition  ; but  a connoisseur  near 
me  remarked  that  he  would  do  till  twelve  o’clock. 

To  my  astonishment,  I observed  several  of  the  young 
ladies  in  white  dresses,  whom  I was  almost  sure  I had 
seen  before  in  dark  dresses ; but,  as  I never  paid  much 
attention  to  such  things,  I thought  I must  have  been 
mistaken.  An  American,  however,  told  me  that  I 
was  quite  right,  and  that  most  of  them  had  already 
changed  their  dresses  three  times  ; and,  if  I kept  a look- 
out, he  continued,  I should  see  that  some  of  them 


224 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


would  change  again.  This,  indeed,  was  the  case. 
Some  changed  their  dresses  five  times  between  noon 
and  the  following  morning.  It  would  b.e  as  incorrect 
to  dance  for  a whole  night  in  the  same  dress  as  in 
Europe  to  appear  without  gloves,  which  latter  articles 
were  thought  quite  unnecessary  here. 

A farmer,  who  lived  about  eight  miles  lower  down 
the  Fourche  le  Fave,  promised  me  an  old  canoe  to 
carry  K.’s  things  to  Little  Rock,  and  said,  that  when  I 
got  there  I might  set  it  adrift,  as  it  was  not  worth 
cutting  up  ; so  I settled  to  go  home  with  him  next 
morning  to  bring  the  canoe  back. 

A little  after  twelve  the  old  American’s  prophecy 
came  to  pass,  and  the  second  fiddler  was  carried  out 
and  laid  on  the  grass,  while  a third  was  soon  found  to 
take  his  place.  By  this  time  I was  tired  and  sleepy, 
so  I stretched  myself  under  a tree,  with  my  head  on 
an  old  grindstone,  and,  in  spite  of  the  hard  pillow  and 
squeaking  fiddle,  I slept  soundly  till  morning. 

When  the  sun  sent  his  hot  rays  over  the  trees  into 
the  clearing,  dancing  was  still  going  on,  and  the 
ground  was  covered  with  sleeping  figures.  Prepara- 
tions were  soon  made  for  departure.  The  horses, 
which  had  been  tied  to  the  bushes  or  fence,  or  driven 
into  an  enclosure,  and  had  been  well  supplied  with 
maize,  were  quickly  saddled,  and  troop  after  troop  of 
men  and  women  disappeared  in  the  thick  green  forest. 
I started  with  the  farmer  and  his  wife,  the  indefatigable 
fiddlestick  working  away  as  long  as  we  were  within 
hearing. 

I found  the  canoe ; and  the  good  man  was  quite  right 
when  he  said  that  it  was  not  worth  cutting  up. 


CHASING  A WOLF  WITH  A CANOE. 


225 


Hone  but  a person  accustomed  to  such  craft  would 
have  ventured  to  step  into  it.  It  was  nothing  more 
than  the  roughly  hollowed  trunk  of  a tree,  about  ten 
feet  long  by  eighteen  inches  wide  ; however,  it  an- 
swered my  purpose,  and,  provided  with  a light  paddle, 
I set  out  on  my  return,  which,  though  only  eight  miles 
by  land,  was  at  least  twenty  by  water. 

The  sun  was  just  dipping  behind  the  tips  of  the 
trees  ; the  air,  which  had  been  oppressively  hot  all  day, 
was  somewhat  cooler.  I was  going  slowly  up  the 
stream  with  long  easy  strokes  of  the  paddle,  under  the 
shadow  of  the  overhanging  willows,  when,  about  100 
paces  before  me,  I saw  four  wolves  playing  together  on 
a bank  of  gravel,  jumping  in  and  out  of  the  water,  and 
rolling  over  each  other  like  puppies.  They  did  not 
see  me,  and  I paddled  silently  to  the  side  of  the  river 
where  they  were  playing,  ran  the  canoe  on  the  sand, 
took  the  paddle,  hardly  knowing  exactly  what  I 
intended,  and  crept  stealthily  along  towards  the  unsus- 
pecting wolves,  a projecting  rock  hiding  me  from  their 
sight.  But  wolves  have  a fine  scent,  and  just  as  I was 
raising  my  head  cautiously,  they  all  four  sprang  into 
the  thicket.  I returned  disappointed  to  my  canoe,  and 
continued  my  voyage.  On  arriving  close  to  a*  cane- 
brake,  about  100  yards  further  on,  I heard  a rustling, 
and  caught  hold  of  the  bough  of  a tree  near  me,  to 
keep  the  canoe  as  still  as  “possible,  when  an  immense 
wolf,  as  black  as  pitch,  with  a white  star  on  his  breast, 
came  out  of  the  canes,  apparently  with  the  intention 
of  swimming  across  to  join  his  companions.  When  he 
caught  sight  of  me,  he  turned  his  head  from  side  to  side 
like  a dog.  As  I remained  quite  motionless,  but  with 


226 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


my  eyes  steadily  fixed  on  him,  he  took  courage,  walked 
into  the  water,  and  began  to  swim  across  about  fifteen 
yards  ahead  of  the  canoe.  I let  him  gain  the  middle 
of  the  stream,  which  may  have  been  about  sixty  yards 
wide,  when  I gave  the  canoe  a good  shove  ahead,  and 
paddling  as  hard  as  I could,  I gained  fast  on  the  sur- 
prised wolf.  In  the  first  moment,  not  knowing  which 
shore  to  make  for,  he  turned  up  stream,  giving  me  thus 
a great  advantage  over  him.  But  he  soon  found  out  his 
mistake,  and  turned  in  his  first  direction,  this  time 
gaining  an  advantage  over  me,  because  my  clumsy 
craft  was  not  easily  turned.  He  had  about  twenty 
yards  to  swim,  and  we  both  tried  hard  which  should 
first  reach  the  shore.  The  bank  was  still  a few  feet 
distant,  when  I came  alongside  of  the  beast,  which 
was  swimming  desperately  for  its  life,  and,  forgetting 
the  ticklish  nature  of  my  craft,  I rose  up  to  give  him  a 
blow  across  the  spine  with  the  sharp  edge  of  the  paddle, 
meaning  then  to  attack  him  with  my  knife,  as  I was 
without  my  rifle.  He  was  close  beside  me,  and  looked 
up  at  me  as  I raised  the  paddle,  when  the  vile  canoe 
slipped  from  under  me ; I lost  my  balance,  and  fell  into 
the  water  just  clear  of  the  wolf,  who  touched  bottom 
at  the  same  moment,  and  at  once  began  shaking 
himself.  The  water  was  not  deep,  but  I was  wet 
through,  and  vexed  at  seeing  my  prey  escape,  just  as  I 
had  made  sure  of  him.  A wolf’s  scalp  is  valued  at 
three  dollars  in  Arkansas.  I had  moreover  the  addi- 
tional pleasure  of  swimming  some  way  down  the  river 
after  the  canoe. 

I arrived  at  Haller’s  next  day  without  further  ad- 
venture, embarked  Kean’s  things,  taking  also  all  my 


ANOTHER  SHOOTING  EXCURSION. 


227 


skins  with  me,  as  I could  sell  them  better  at  Little  Rock 
than  at  Fourche  le  Fave.  I gave  the  canoe  to  an  old 
German,  who  was  fond  of  fishing,  and  who  had  to  fish 
himself  out  of  the  water  the  first  time  he  tried  her. 

I soon  returned  to  the  settlement,  and  a few  days 
afterwards  took  leave  of  Kean,  who,  with  a promise  to 
write  to  me,  set  off  on  horseback  towards  the  south. 
My  arrangements  were  soon  made,  and  on  the  following 
morning  I set  off  up  the  bank  of  the  river  towards  the 
mountains,  intending  to  shoot  all  the  summer.  Kelfer, 
who  had  already  received  us  so  hospitably,  was  kind 
enough  to  offer  me  the  loan  of  a horse  for  the  summer. 
I thankfully  accepted  his  kindness,  and  rode  off  in 
good  spirits,  not  knowing  exactly  where ; but  that  was 
always  one  of  the  least  of  my  cares,  so  that  I was  only 
in  motion,  and  I soon  found  a good  place  for  sport.  I 
learnt  that  there  was  very  good  shooting  ground  higher 
up  the  river,  near  the  grave-lick,  so  called  because  two 
Indians  were  buried  there,  who  had  been  killed  by  a 
panther.  Here  I joined  an  American,  named  Hogarth, 
who  lived  in  the  neighborhood,  and  was  a keen  sports- 
man. After  trying  the  waters  of  the  Fourche  le  Fave, 
we  went  to  the  sources  of  the  Washita;  but  the  forests 
not  having  been  burnt  for  many  years,  were  so  thickly 
overgrown  with  underwood,  that  it  was  impossible  t<7* 
find  the  deer,  or  to  shoot  game  enough  to  live  upon. 

We  had  been  shooting  for  about  five  weeks,  when  one 
morning,  as  we  were  riding  side  by  side,  I felt  all  at  once 
giddy  and  unwell.  The  evening  before,  we  had  been 
overtaken  by  a thunderstorm,  and  my  clothes  were  still 
damp.  This  attack  came  on  so  suddenly,  that  I had 
hardly  time  to  say  I was  ill,  and  Hogarth  turning  round, 


228 


WILD  SPOETS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


observed  that  I was  very  pale,  when  every  thing  swam 
before  my  eyes,  and  turned  black  and  blue ; and  I fell 
senseless  off  the  horse  before  Hogarth  could  lay  hold  of 
me.  I recovered  my  senses  in  a few  minutes,  but  was 
so  ill  that  it  was  with  great  difficulty  I could  mount  my 
horse,  and  keep  myself  to  the  saddle.  We  had,  however, 
not  far  to  go  to  the  house  of  a Mr.  Collmar,  and  I held 
on  by  the  mane  and  pommel,  though  lolling  from  side 
to  side  like  a drunken  man. 

The  house  was  nothing  more  than  a shed  formed  of 
boards,  but  the  good  people  received  me  very  hospitably, 
and  attended  me  kindly  for  the  two  days  that  I lay 
delirious.  On  the  third  day  I was  able  to  be  lifted 
on  horseback,  and  we  returned  over  the  mountains  that 
divide  the  left  arm  of  the  Fourche  le  Fave  from  the 
main  stream,  to  Hogarth’s  house ; he  would  not  let  me 
move  till  I was  tolerably  recovered. 

At  no  great  distance  from  hence,  lived  an  old  back- 
woodsman, named  Slowtrap,  with  whom  I was  well 
acquainted,  and  who  showed  so  much  kindness  and 
good  feeling  that  I became  quite  attached  to  him.  Still 
I longed  for  German  society;  besides,  I had  kept 
Keifer’s  horse  too  long,  and  would  not  abuse  his  good 
nature.  Therefore,  though  still  unwell,  I rode  from 
Flogarth’s  about  the  end  of  August,  towards  Keifer’s, 
who  not  only  received  me  with  kindness,  but  treated  me 
quite  as  one  of  his  own  family. 

He  had  been  accustomed  to  a quiet  comfortable  life 
in  his  early  days,  having  been  a clergyman  in  Germany, 
but  he  had  shaken  off  the  superintendent  yoke  of  his 
native  country,  exchanging  it  for  the  independent  life 
of  a farmer  in  the  American  forests,  and  was  happy 


THE  SESSIONS  IN  THE  BACKWOODS. 


229 


and  contented  in  his  family  circle.  His  young  wife 
was  quite  an  example  of  household  virtue : they  had 
four  very  fine  children.  He  produced  almost  every 
thing  that  he  required,  and  though  in  his  youth  un- 
accustomed to  hard  work,  he  cultivated  his  land  alone, 
and  was  not  behind  any  American  in  the  use  of  his 
axe;  his  cattle  and  pigs  were  among  the  best  in  the 
place. 

When  first  I arrived  I felt  very  wretched  and  miser- 
able, but  the  kind  attentions  of  Mrs.  Kelfer  restored 
me  after  a time  ; I managed  to  help  a little  on  the  farm, 
and  now  and  then  took  a turn  with  my  rifle,  and  shot  a 
deer  or  a turkey. 

The  sessions  were  held  about  this  time  at  Fourche 
le  Fave,  and  several  advocates,  some  from  Little  Rock, 
some  from  the  neighborhood,  assembled  at  Perryville, 
and  quartered  themselves  on  the  farmers.  Kelfer 
received  one,  who  was  a gentlemanly  young  man,  and 
he  (Kelfer)  had  cases  to  settle  with  some  of  the  bad 
characters  in  the  vicinity.  There  was  now  bustle 
enough  in  the  usually  quiet  place,  and  the  little  town 
of  Perryville,  about  two  miles  off,  consisting  of  one 
little  shop,  and  the  dwelling  of  the  ferryman,  who  was 
also  postmaster,  was  the  assembling  place  of  the 
county. 

The  shop,  which  formed  one  half  of  the  town,  be- 
longed to  a German,  who  was  too  good  a specimen  of  a 
certain  class  of  his  countrymen  to  be  passed  by  without 
notice.  Bockenheim,  or  as  the  Americans  called  him, 
Buckingham,  must,  I should  think,  have  been  a manu- 
facturer of  birch  brooms,  as  he  showed  extraordinary 
talent  for  that  branch  of  the  fine  arts ; but  he  endeav- 
20 


230 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


ored  to  gain  his  livelihood  in  the  general  retail  line, 
and  he  drove  a pretty  good  trade  in  Arkansas,  where 
he  had  settled  himself  by  chance,  and  where  the  people 
were  forced  to  deal  with  him,  as  his  was  at  first  the  only 
shop.  Rutkin,  however,  interfered  with  his  business, 
and  at  first  did  him  much  harm,  until  his  proud 
domineering  manner  drove  all  his  customers  away, 
excepting  those  who  thought  to  gain  advantage  over 
him.  Bockenheim  spoke  such  a jargon  that  it  was 
impossible  to  make  out  whether  he  was  speaking 
English,  German,  or  Indian.  A German  immigrant 
would  never  have  understood  him,  and  the  Americans 
were  obliged  to  guess  at  his  meaning ; but  for  all  that, 
he  managed  very  well,  and  as  he  had  gained  a good 
sum  by  his  trade,  he  naturally  enough  ascribed  it  all 
to  his  own  wisdom. 

The  sessions  were  held  in  the  other  half  of  the  town, 
the  postmaster  giving  up  the  half  of  his  house  for 
the  purpose,  as  the  court-house  was  yet  to  be  built. 
The  judge,  who  travelled  this  circuit,  had  come  from 
Little  Rock  with  several  advocates,  and  took  his  place 
by  the  chimney  in  a cane  chair.  Two  tables  were 
placed  together  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  though 
rather  nearer  the  chimney,  round  which  the  advocates 
and  the  clerk  of  the  court  took  their  places.  A case  of 
assault  was  first  brought  forward ; the  jury,  who  must 
be  householders,  were  chosen,  and  sworn,  and  placed 
themselves  on  a long  bench  against  the  wall.  The 
proceedings  were  opened  by  the  prosecuting  attorney, 
who  directed  the  attention  of  the  jury  to  the  various 
laws  enacted  against  this  crime,  and  then  called  his 
witnesses.  He  was  followed  by  the  advocate  for  the 


AN  INCONVENIENT  COURT-HOUSE. 


231 


defence,  who  called  his  witnesses,  and  concluded  with 
an  address  to  the  jury,  in  which  he  did  not  fail  to  praise 
the  soundness  and  acuteness  of  their  judgment.  The 
prosecuting  attorney  then  rose  again,  and  endeavored 
to  disparage  the  statements  made  on  the  opposite  side, 
ending  with  the  remark,  that,  “ in  the  whole  course  of 
his  life,  he  had  never  known  so  flagrant  a case.”  It 
was  now  the  judge’s  turn,  who  explained  to  the  jury 
the  state  of  the  law  applicable  to  the  case,  and  warned 
them  that  if  they  had  any  doubts,  the  law  prescribes 
that  the  case  should  be  decided  in  favor  of  the  de- 
fendant. The  jury  ought  now  to  have  withdrawn  to 
another  and  distant  room ; but  as,  unfortunately,  there 
was  no  other  room,  distant  or  near,  to  be  had  at 
Perryville,  and  as  the  pouring  rain  prevented  their 
deliberating  in  the  open  air,  as  at  other  times,  the 
horses  were  turned  out  of  the  stable,  and  the  twelve 
jurymen  occupied  their  place.  The  next  case  was  that 
of  a respectable  farmer,  who  was  accused  of  having  shot 
another’s  cow,  taken  it  home,  and  eaten  it.  The  case 
excited  considerable  interest,  as  it  was  stated  to  have 
occurred  several  years  ago,  and  the  penalty  was  whip- 
ping and  imprisonment,  which  has  since  been  altered. 
After  a long  deliberation  in  the  stable,  the  jury  returned 
a verdict  of  “ Not  guilty.”  The  sessions  lasted  several 
days,  and  the  crowd  dropped  off  by  degrees. 

At  this  time  of  the  year,  before  the  maize  is  quite 
ripe,  being  soft  but  no  longer  milky,  while  last  year’s 
store  is  nearly  exhausted,  the  farmer  rubs  the  grain  on 
a grater,  generally  made  out  of  an  old  coffee-pot,  in 
which  holes  are  punched  with  a nail,  and  thus  procures 
a fine  damp  flour,  containing  all  the  saccharine  qualities 


232 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


of  the  plant,  and  making  excellent  bread.  This 
grating  is  rather  hard  work.  One  day  when  Kelfer 
had  grated  some  maize  in  front  of  the  house,  and  the 
fine  bright  yellow  flour  was  heaped  up  on  a clean 
napkin,  a juvenile  pig  came  by,  and  playfully  seized 
the  corner  of  the  napkin,  throwing  all  the  flour  into  the 
dust. 

I had  received  no  letter  from  Kean,  but  heard  that 
he  had  joined  a young  German  in  the  purchase  of  a 
boat,  and  was  gone  into  Louisiana.  I almost  regretted 
that  I had  not  accompanied  them ; but  my  passion  for 
shooting  impelled  me  in  a different  direction,  and  I 
longed  to  be  in  the  Ozark  mountains,  of  which  I had 
heard  so  much,  and  which  were  only  150  miles  off.  Week 
after  week  passed  away,  and  I was  desirous  of  helping 
Kelfer  with  his  approaching  harvest.  I passed  a great 
part  of  my  time  in  the  forest  with  my  dog  Bearsgrease, 
the  same  that  I had  brought  from  Little  Rock,  and  which 
had  grown  to  a fine  powerful  animal.  I was  still  unde- 
termined whether  to  go  north  or  south,  when  an  old 
acquaintance  arrived  at  Kelfer’s  to  pass  the  night,  and 
decided  the  question. 

It  was  old  Slowtrap,  who  had  formerly  lived  near 
the  mouth  of  Fourche  le  Fave,  but  had  since  removed 
higher  up,  not  far  from  Hogarth’s.  Fie  had  a sack  full 
of  all  sorts  of  articles,  including  a half  bushel  of  salt 
which  he  had  bought  at  Little  Rock,  and  carried  across 
his  horse.  He  afterwards  told  me  that  he  had  trans- 
ported all  his  family  and  goods  on  horseback,  and 
then  I remembered  having  once  met  him  riding  along 
with  four  chairs  and  a spinning-wheel.  The  spinningT 
wheel  having  made  the  horse  shy,  he  had  hung  it  on  a 


DEPARTURE  FROM  KELFER’S  FARM. 


233 


tree,  intending  to  come  back  for  it ; meantime  a back- 
woodsman had  set  fire  to  the  dry  leaves  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  just  as  he  arrived  he  saw  it,  burnt  through 
and  through,  fall  in  two  parts  into  the  fire  below. 

A man  will  sometimes  move  with  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren, and  all  his  goods,  further  into  the  forest,  if  the 
grass  about  his  house  gets  thin,  so  that  he  would  be 
forced  to  cultivate  a little  more  maize  for  his  cattle. 

Slowtrap  spoke  much  of  his  father-in-law,  who  was 
a keen  bear-shooter,  and  made  me  long  for  the  moun- 
tains more  than  ever,  by  affirming  that  he  intended  to 
go  himself  in  a few  weeks,  that  I might  go  with  him, 
and  that  he  would  introduce  me  to  the  old  gentleman. 
This  drove  all  thoughts  of  the  south  out  of  my  head, 
and  we  settled  on  marching  the  following  morning. 
There  is  a saying  that  u short  hair  is  soon  brushed ; ” 
my  baggage  was  ready  in  a few  minutes. 

I was  sorry  to  part  with  the  Kelfers,  who  had  been 
so  kind  to  me,  and  treated  me  as  one  of  their  family ; 
but  I hoped  soon  to  see  them  again. 

The  November  morning  broke  cold  and  disagreeable 
when  I started  with  my  companion.  My  baggage  was 
not  very  heavy ; I had  on  deer-skin  leggings,  and  moc- 
casins, a light  hunting-shirt  of  summer  stuff,  secured 
by  a broad  leather  belt,  bearing  my  tomahawk  on  the 
right,  and  hunting-knife  on  the  left  side,  and  a tin  cup 
behind.  Spare  powder  and  lead  were  rolled  up  in  my 
blanket,  with  a small  bag  of  roasted  cofiee,  and  a clean 
shirt ; a powder-horn  and  a leather  shot-pouch  com- 
pleted my  equipment.  My  companion,  though  an  old 
sportsman,  was  not  equipped  for  shooting ; but  he  was 
pretty  well  loaded  with  other  things.  As  I have 
20  * 


234 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  PAR  WEST. 


already  stated,  lie  formerly  lived  near  the  mouth  of 
the  Fourche  le  Fave,  but  had  moved  about  fifty  miles 
further  west,  carrying  his  kitchen  utensils,  tools,  bed- 
ding, &c.,  all  on  horseback,  and  driving  his  cattle  and 
pigs  before  him  to  his  new  home.  Difficult  as  such  a 
move  appears,  I know  of  a family  which  moved  three 
times  in  one  year. 

My  old  friend  cut  a glorious  figure,  as  he  rode  be- 
side me.  He  was  about  six  feet  tall,  and  as  large 
boned  as  a fine  figure  would  allow.  A pair  of  thoroughly 
honest  eyes  looked  out  of  a good-humored,  weather- 
beaten face,  and  were  in  constant  motion,  giving  great 
animation  to  the  massive  figure.  Nobody  had  ever 
seen  him  laugh,  but  those  who  are  well  acquainted 
with  him  say,  that  a little  widening  twitch  of  the 
mouth,  and  a slight  closing  of  the  corner  of  the  left 
eye,  are  certain  evidences  of  good-humor ; neither 
had  anybody  ever  seen  him  go  faster  than  at  a quick 
walk  he  seemed  to  consider  it  beneath  his  dignity  to 
run.  A well-worn  black  coat,  with  large  pockets  and 
flaps,  was  thrown  over  his  shoulders,  and,  notwith- 
standing the  rough  weather,  his  legs  were  cased  in  a 
pair  of  thin,  light-colored  trowsers,  which  rumpled 
up  high  enough  to  show  a muscular  calf  above  a short 
sock ; a pair  of  shoes  of  his  own  making  covered  his 
feet,  while  a hat,  of  any  shape  but  the  original,  and 
that  had  been  black,  covered  his  head.  The  articles 
in  one  end  of  his  bag  were  not  heavy  enough  to 
balance  the  salt  in  the  other  end ; so,  to  maintain  the 
equilibrium,  he  was  obliged  to  lean  to  the  left  side, 
and  as  he  had  a large  basket,  containing  a Muscovy 
duck,  on  the  right  arm,  the ‘horse  seemed  to  be  between 


ROAD-MAKING  IN  THE  BACKWOODS. 


235 


him  and  the  basket.  An  unloaded  gun,  that  he  had 
accepted  in  payment  of  a long-standing  debt,  lay  across 
the  pommel.  He  kept  me  constantly  amused  with  his 
stories,  as  we  jogged  along  the  county  road. 

When  a county  road  has  to  be  cut,  a director  is 
appointed,  who  is  authorized  to  assemble  all  the  male 
population  of  the  county  from  the  age  of  eighteen  to 
forty -five ; and  these  stout  sons  of  the  forest  soon 
make  a clearance  among  the  trees,  and  roll  their  trunks 
out  of  the  way.  But  holes  and  other  hinderances  are 
left  in  a state  of  nature,  if  there  is  the  slightest  chance 
that  a wagon  can  pass. 

Our  road  led  us  near  the  river,  though  we  seldom 
saw  it,  on  account  of  the  canes  and  rushes  through 
which  it  flows ; moreover,  we  kept  to  the  heights  as 
much  as  possible,  for  the  sake  of  dry  ground.  The 
main  course  of  the  river  is  from  west  to  east,  with  very 
good  land  on  both  banks,  forming  excellent  winter 
pasture,  while  the  hills,  also  running  east  and  west, 
afford  equally  good  summer  pasture  amongst  the  thick 
pine  forests. 

It  was  long  since  the  road  had  been  inspected.  Large 
broken  boughs  and  fallen  trees  lay  across  it,  impeding 
our  progress.  According  to  Slowtrap,  this  was  quite 
natural.  He  maintained  that  a tree  never  would  fall 
any  other  way  than  across  a road,  if  it  could  only  reach 
it,  just  as  a sweet  gum  tree  always  fell  on  a fence,  if  it 
stood  near  enough.  We  passed  a school  as  we  went 
along  — one  of  the  usual  log-houses  — but  with  a plank 
inserted  between  two  of  the  logs  to  serve  for  a desk. 
The  more  distant  scholars  come  on  horseback,  and  tie 
up  their  horses  to  the  fence  during  school  hours.  Of 


236 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


course  they  bring  their  dinners  with  them.  These 
forest  schools  seldom  pretend  to  teach  more  than  read- 
ing, writing,  and  arithmetic;  if  they  attempt  geo- 
graphy, it  is  confined  to  that  of  the  United  States.  In 
the  swamps  I once  saw  a teacher  giving  lessons  in 
writing ; some  of  his  scholars  were  eighteen  and  twenty 
years  old,  yet  could  not  read  what  they  wrote,  but 
copied  the  letters  as  we  should  copy  hieroglyphics.  It 
was  just  noon  as  we  passed ; at  this  hour  master  and 
scholars  make  it  a rule  to  play  at  ball  if  the  weather 
will  allow,  so  that  they  may  return  with  greater  zeal  to 
their  spelling.  The  scholars  whom  we  saw  were  nearly 
all  grown  up. 

Hitherto  the  weather  had  been  fine ; but  clouds 
gathered  in  the  west,  and  soon  turned  to  rain.  As  we 
were  in  no  great  hurry,  and  as  Slowtrap  said  that  one 
of  his  greatest  friends  lived  about  half  a mile  from  the 
road,  we  turned  to  the  left,  and  soon  halted  before  a 
block-house,  whose  chimney  smoke  indicated  a glorious 
fire  within.  Old  Bahrens,  to  whom  the  house  belonged, 
was  not  at  home,  but  his  two  sons,  lads  fifteen  and  ten 
years  of  age,  gave  us  a warm  reception.  We  found  the 
room  occupied  by  three  other  men,  who  made  room 
for  us,  and  the  fire  soon  restored  warmth  to  our  half- 
frozen  limbs.  Two  of  the  strangers  were  talking 
earnestly  about  the  races,  which  were  shortly  to  be 
held  in  the  neighborhood,  while  the  third  seemed  to 
be  very  tired,  for  he  was  fast  asleep  in  his  chair. 

As  it  grew  later  and  later  without  any  signs  of 
supper,  and  there  was  no  woman  in  the  house,  we  all 
set  to  work,  took  maize  oijt  of  the  corn  crib,  and  began 
to  grind.  But  what  a mill ! It  was  above  an  hour 


VISIT  TO  BARRENS. 


237 


before  we  had  flour  enough  for  a tolerable  meal ; we 
then  moistened  it  with  water,  put  it  in  a flat  iron  pan, 
covered  it,  and  set  it  on  the  ashes  to  bake.  Milk  and 
smoked  deer-hams  formed  the  remainder  of  the  spread. 
Having,  with  some  difficulty,  roused  our  sleeping  com- 
panion, we  commenced  upon  the  viands,  and  even 

our  sleepy  friend  seemed  to  have  banished  all  other 

thoughts  in  his  anxiety  to  make  them  disappear  with 
the  utmost  possible  despatch  ; but  his  last  mouthful 

was  hardly  out  of  sight,  when  his  eyes  became  for  a 

moment  fixed,  the  lids  fell,  and  he  was  again  in  a 
deep  sleep. 

The  whole  party  were  rather  tired,  and  as  there 
were  no  spare  beds  in  the  house,  S.  and  I spread  our 
blankets ; the  boys  gave  us  two  more  to  cover  us,  and 
all  five  were  soon  peaceably  extended,  one  beside  the 
other,  in  waiting  for  the  next  day’s  sun. 

We  were  up  at  daybreak,  and,  to  avoid  another 
grind  at  the  old  mill,  for  which  I had  conceived  the 
greatest  respect,  we  started  before  breakfast.  The 
horse,  having  had  a good  supply  of  food,  was  again 
saddled  and  bridled,  the  bag  with  salt,  &c.,  laid  across, 
my  old  comrade  climbed  up,  I handed  him  his  duck 
basket  and  old  shooting  iron,  cast  my  blanket  over  my 
shoulder,  and  shaking  hands  with  our  two  new  ac- 
quaintances, the  third  being  still  asleep,  we  went  off  to 
the  west  for  the  abode  of  my  companion.  The  weather 
had  cleared  up,  and  with  light  heart  and  light  step  we 
jogged  along  the  well-beaten  track ; Bearsgrease  snuffing 
the  trails  of  the  deer  which  had  crossed  the  road  in 
the  course  of  the  night.  He  stopped  at  every  fresh 
trail,  asking  with  entreating  eyes  for  leave  to  follow 


238 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


it;  but  we  bad  no  notion  of  shooting  just  then,  and 
kept  straight  on.  As  the  day  advanced,  our  stomachs 
began  to  reproach  us  for  such  unfriendly  treatment, 
when,  about  200  yards  in  front,  we  saw  a gang  of  wild 
turkeys  running  along  the  road.  One  word  of  encour- 
agement to  Bearsgrease,  and  he  seemed  to  fly  rather  than 
run  after  the  long-legged  turkeys,  who  soon  finding  that 
their  legs  would  not  save  them,  took  to  their  wings, 
and  flew  heavily  to  the  nearest  trees. 

As  fast  as  I could  I had  followed  up  the  dog,  who 
had  singled  out  a turkey-cock,  and  was  bounding  and 
barking  round  the  tree  in  which  he  had  taken  refuge, 
and  whence,  with  outstretched  neck,  he  was  turning  his 
head  first  to  one  side  then  to  the  other,  intently  watching 
the  motions  of  Bearsgrease ; I was  enabled  to  approach 
unperceived  and  knock  him  over.  Meantime  S.  had 
lighted  a jolly  fire,  and  we  sat  rather  too  long  over  our 
meal,  considering,  or  rather  not  considering,  that  we 
had  a bad  bit  of  road  before  us,  and  that  the  weather 
began  to  look  threatening. 

For  half  a mile  the  road  led  through  the  u mounds,” 
— small  hills,  which  are  very  frequent  in  this  part  of 
Arkansas,  principally  on  low  ground.  There  can  be 
no  doubt  but  that  they  have  been  formed  by  the  hand 
of  man,  as  they  are  in  regular  rows,  from  twenty  to 
forty  yards  apart,  six  or  seven  feet  high,  and  about 
twelve  feet  in  diameter.  The  one  in  the  middle  of  a 
row  is  always  of  an  oval  form,  while  the  others  are 
round.  There  are  sometimes  from  twelve  to  twenty 
rows,  with  from  ten  to  twenty  and  twenty-five  mounds 
in  a row,  all  at  regular  distances.  I have  spoken  with 
several  Americans  who  had  dug  into  them,  in  the  hope 


HABITUAL  RESERVE  OF  THE  AMERICANS.  239 


of  discovering  treasures ; but  they  only  found  broken 
pottery,  burnt  wood,  and  now  and  then  a bone.  They 
are  situated  in  the  most  fertile  soil  of  the  State,  and  the 
Indians  know  nothing  about  them. 

At  length  the  swamps  were  behind  us.  We  crossed 
a small  prairie,  passed  an  old  buffalo  salt-lick,  and 
arrived  at  Slowtrap’s  dwelling,  planted  on  a spur  of  the 
hills  which  ran  out  into  the  plains.  It  was  in  no  way 
different  from  the  usual  log-houses : sixteen  feet  square, 
from  nine  to  ten  high,  with  an  enormous  fireplace, 
no  window,  and  a weighted  roof ; close  by  was  a field 
of  about  seven  acres,  planted  with  maize.  His  wife 
and  children  stood  at  the  door  as  we  arrived,  and 
although  I knew  that  they  were  much  attached  to  each 
other,  and  lived  happily  together,  and  he  had  been 
about  three  weeks  absent,  not  the  least  word  was 
exchanged  that  could  be  construed  into  a greeting. 
“ Take  my  saddle  in,”  said  S.  to  his  eldest  son,  a boy 
of  eight  years  old,  who  was  leaning  on  the  fence, 
looking  at  us  as  if  we  were  perfect  strangers,  in  whom 
he  had  no  concern.  At  last,  when  the  horse  was  cared 
for,  and  all  things  in  their  places,  S.  went  into  the 
house,  took  a seat,  and  lifted  his  youngest  child  into  his 
lap  ; — and  then  he  said,  “ How  do  you  do,  all  of  you  ? ” 
This  distant  reserve  of  the  Americans,  so  prevalent 
even  in  their  own  families,  often  struck  cold  on  my 
heart,  and  made  me  regret  my  native  land.  Man  and 
wife  are  often  as  reserved  towards  each  other  as  two 
strangers  who  meet  for  the  first  time,  and  care  not 
about  meeting  again.  I have  seen  Americans  leave 
home  to  be  absent  for  months,  without  shaking  hands 
with  their  wives,  or  saying  “ Good-by,”  and  it  is  the 


240 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


same  on  their  return.  I must  believe,  for  the  honor 
of  the  Americans,  that  this  reserve  is  mere  custom,  and 
does  not  proceed  from  any  real  want  of  affection,  as  I 
have  seen  proofs  of  deep  feeling  amongst  them,  but  it 
always  made  a disagreeable  impression  on  me.  But  still 
worse  was  it  to  see  Germans  aping  this  fashion,  as  often 
happened  to  be  my  lot. 

When  quietly  seated,  I took  a survey  of  the  dwelling. 
In  two  corners  stood  two  large  beds,  covered  with 
good  stout  quilts  of  many  colors;  between  the  beds, 
about  four  feet  from  the  ground,  was  a shelf  hold- 
ing a few  more  quilts,  and  the  linen  of  the  family, 
which  was  not  over-abundant,  comprising  three  or  four 
articles  for  each  person.  Under  this  shelf  were  two 
“gums,”  trunks  of  a hollow  tree,  about  a foot  in  di- 
ameter, and  two  and  a half  or  three  feet  high,  with  a 
piece  of  board  nailed  on  the  bottom.  They  are  applied 
to  all  sorts  of  purposes : I have  seen  them  used  as  bee- 
hives ; these,  I subsequently  found,  were  one  for  flour 
and  the  other  for  salt.  Two  wooden  hooks  over  the 
door  supported  my  host’s  long  rifle,  with  its  powder- 
horn  and  shot-pouch.  A shelf  held  some  shoemaker’s 
tools,  leather  &c.,  Gun’s  Domestic  Medicine,  a family 
Bible,  the  Life  of  Washington,  the  Life  of  Marion, 
Franklin’s  Maxims,  an  almanac,  and  a well-worn  map 
of  the  United  States.  Various  files,  awls,  broken 
knives,  and  a bullet-mould,  were  stuck  into  the  crevices 
of  the  logs  near  the  fireplace.  On  the  left  of  it  were 
two  short  shelves,  with  four  plates,  two  cups,  three 
saucers,  some  tin  pots,  and  a large  coffee-pot,  all  as 
bright  and  clean  as  possible.  In  the  corner  of  the 
fireplace  was  an  iron  pan  with  a cover,  for  baking 


MECHANICAL  INGENUITY  OF  BACKWOODSMEN.  241 

bread,  and  two  saucepans,  one  broken.  Several  joints 
of  smoked  meat  hung  from  the  roof,  surrounded  by 
strips  of  dried  pumpkin  suspended  on  poles. 

The  above-named  boy,  a girl  of  ten,  a blue-eyed, 
flaxen-haired,  rosy-cheeked  girl  of  four,  diligently 
munching  a bunch  of  wild  grapes,  and  the  little  one 
on  my  friend’s  lap,  formed  the  family ; they  all  looked 
shyly  at  me,  though  they  had  seen  me  six  months 
before,  so  that  I was  not  quite  a stranger  to  them. 

We  had  agreed  to  set  off  for  the  mountains  at  once  — 
but  S.  found  some  business  to  detain  him ' at  home,  so 
it  was  put  off  till  the  next  week,  and  I amused  myself 
in  the  mean  time  as  well  as  I could ; and  as  I was 
acquainted  with  the  country,  I took  my  rifle,  and  paid 
a few  visits  to  old  acquaintances,  returning  to  Slow- 
trap’s  on  the  12th  December,  partly  on  account  of 
the  cold  wet  weather,  and  partly  to  mend  my  mocca- 
sins, which  had  suffered  severely  from  the  sharp  stones 
of  these  mountains.  Slowtrap  happened  to  be  mend- 
ing a pair  of  shoes  at  the  same  time.  It  is  a general 
practice  with  the  backwoodsmen  to  make  their  own 
shoes,  and  a regular  shoemaker  is  a scarce  article  in 
this  part  of  the  world.  As  they  are  thrown  on  their 
own  resources  from  their  youth,  these  Americans  are 
very  skilful  in  providing  for  their  necessary  wants,  and 
are  particularly  expert  with  the  axe,  which  they  begin 
to  wield  as  soon  as  their  arms  are  strong  enough  to  lift 
it.  They  use  it  for  a variety  of  purposes- — building 
houses,  laying  roofs  and  floors,  forming  the  chimneys 
and  doors,  the  only  other  tool  used  being  an  auger; 
and  nothing  amuses  them  more  than  to  see  the  awkward- 
ness of  a new  comer,  when  first  he  handles  an  axe. 

21 


242 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


Besides  making  their  own  shoes,  they  understand  enough 
of  tanning  to  prepare  the  leather;  they  make  their 
own  ploughs,  dig  wells,  &c. ; for  all  which  operations 
.Europeans  r ecu  ire  so  many  different  workmen. 

As  we  eat  together  before  the  fire,  there  was  no 
difficulty  in  getting  Slowtrap  to  relate  some  of  his  ad- 
ventures with  the  Indians  in  his  early  days.  In  the 
evening  we  brought  in  some  pumpkins,  and  as  we  cut 
them  into  thin  rings  to  hang  on  the  poles  to  dry  he 
began  to  speak  in  the  following  words  of  the  perils  he 
had  been  exposed  to  in  Kentucky,  and  his  narrow 
escapes  from  the  Indians  : u Kentucky  was  at  that  time 
a wilderness,  when  my  father,  my  uncle,  and  myself 
arrived  near  the  dwelling  of  Daniel  Boone,  to  look 
about  for  a spot  that  would  suit  us  ; for  North  Carolina, 
where  we  then  lived,  began  to  be  too  populous,  and  a 
man  who  wanted  to  shoot  a turkey  or  partridge  was 
tired  before  he  had  walked  half  an  hour,  from  the 
number  of  fences  he  was  obliged  to  climb  over.  I was 
then  just  eighteen,  as  strong  as  a four-year-old  bear, 
and  was  delighted  at  the  thought  of  meeting  the 
Indians.  It  was  about  this  time  of  the  year,  and  the 
game  we  saw  made  our  hearts  bound : numbers  of  bears, 
deer,  and  buffaloes ; while  the  turkeys  would  hardly 
get  out  of  our  way.  It  would  tire  you  to  tell  you  of 
all  the  sport  we  had,  for  no  country  in  the  world  could 
boast  of  more  game  than  Kentucky  thirty  years  ago; 
but  now  it  is  no  better  there  than  it  was  then  in  North 
Carolina,  and  five  years  hence,  a man  who  wants  to 
shoot  a bear  in  Arkansas,  will  have  many  a weary  mile 
to  tramp.  One  evening  we  arrived  at  the  edge  of  a cane- 
brake,  and  as  there  was  good  feeding  for  the  horses,  we 


AN  INDIAN  ADVENTURE. 


243 


resolved  to  pass  the  night  there.  We  hobbled  the  fore- 
legs of  the  horses  with  some  bark  of  the  papao  tree, 
and  hung  a bell  round  the  neck  of  my  uncle’s  mare. 
Yet,  not  being  sure  of  escaping  the  vigilance  of  the 
Indians,  we  kept  watch  by  turns.  Nothing  suspicious 
occurred  till  about  midnight,  when  the  sound  of  the 
bell  ceased,  which  I,  having  the  watch  at  the  time, 
thought  rather  extraordinary,  as  the  horses  were  not 
in  the  habit  of  lying  down  till  morning.  The  dogs  also 
were  restless,  particularly  a greyheaded  bear-hound, 
who  gave  a howl  when  the  wind  came  from  the  quarter 
where  the  horses  had  been  left.  I did  not  wake  the 
two  seniors,  but  I passed  an  anxious  night.  Towards 
morning  I heard  the  bell  again,  but  further  off,  and 
more  to  the  right.  My  father  woke  about  daybreak,  and 
I told  him  what  had  disquieted  me.  It  seemed  rather 
suspicious  to  him  also,  but  he  thought  the  horses  might 
perhaps  have  strayed  a little  in  search  of  fresh  reeds.  As 
soon  as  it  was  broad  daylight,  he  took  his  bridle  and 
rifle,  and  went  with  4 Watch,’  the  old  dog,  towards  the 
sound  of  the  bell,  to  bring  back  the  horses.  My  uncle 
woke  in  the  mean  time.  We  had  set  a delicate  morsel 
to  broil.  I was  catching  the  dripping  from  some  roast- 
ing bear’s  meat,  in  a piece  of  hollow  bark,  to  baste  the 
turkey,  when  my  father  came  back  without  the  horses, 
and  said  he  had  found  infallible  traces  of  Indians  near 
our  camp.  My  uncle  wished  to  examine  the  marks  ; so 
we  shouldered  our  rifles,  and  proceeded  to  the  place 
where  the  horses  had  been  feeding  the  evening  before. 
In  one  rather  moist  place  there  was  a very  clear  im- 
pression of  a moccasin,  and  one  of  the  savages  had 
inconsiderately  stepped  on  the  trunk  of  a fallen  tree, 


244 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


which  being  rotten,  had  yielded  to  his  weight,  leaving 
the  mark  of  a foot.  While  examining  it,  we  heard  a 
noise  in  the  canes.  In  an  instant  our  rifles  were  all 
directed  to  the  spot ; but  it  was  only  my  horse  sticking 
his  head  out  of  the  canes,  and  neighing  at  sight  of  us. 
My  uncle  now  settled  that,  as  he  was  best  acquainted 
with  the  cunning  and  tricks  of  the  Indians,  he  would 
seek  the  horses  alone,  and  nothing  we  urged  could 
dissuade  him  from  his  purpose.  He  took  my  father’s 
bridle,  and  my  horse,  and  was  soon  mounted,  slowly 
and  cautiously  following  up  the  trail.  Losing  sight  of 
him,  we  went  back  to  the  camp  to  look  after  our  break- 
fast, which  we  had  forgotten  in  the  first  excitement. 
We  remained  constantly  listening  for  the  sound  of  the 
bell,  when  we  heard  a shot,  and  directly  afterwards 
three  more  in  quick  succession.  We  were  up  in  an 
instant,  started  towards  the  sound,  and  soon  heard  the 
gallop  of  a horse,  and  saw  my  uncle  advancing  at  full 
speed.  When  he  reached  us  he  pulled  up  short,  so 
that  the  horse  reared.  His  eyes  were  glazed ; — he  was 
very  pale,  reeled  in  his  saddle,  and  fell  into  my  arms, 
which  I extended  to  receive  him.  It  was  well  for  us 
that  the  Indians  had  not  followed  him,  or  we  should 
have  fallen  an  easy  prey.  My  uncle  recovered  after  a 
short  time,  and  told  us,  with  failing  voice,  that  as  he 
was  following  up  the  trail,  he  distinctly  heard  the  bell 
again  at  a little  distance,  and  riding  cautiously  forward, 
rather  distrustful  of  the  deep  silence,  he  saw  my  father’s 
horse  standing  by  a fallen  tree.  He  rode  up  to  him, 
keeping  a sharp  look-out  all  round;  and  just  as  he 
leaned  over  to  take  hold  of  the  bell-strap  which  was 
round  his  neck,  an  Indian  appeared  not  fifteen  paces 


INDIAN  ADVENTURE RACCOON  SHOOTING.  245 


off,  took  aim,  and  fired ; feeling  himself  hit,  he  let  go 
the  horse,  brought  forward  his  rifle,  and  fired,  when 
more  dark  figures  appeared  right  and  left.  He  turned 
his  horse,  and  gave  him  the  spurs.  He  sank  fainting 
to  the  ground,  and  the  dark  blood  flowed  out  as  we 
opened  his  clothes.  He  was  hit  in  three  places,  and 
two  of  the  wounds  were  mortal.  After  a few  minutes 
he  raised  himself  again,  gave  us  each  a hand,  which  we 
pressed  in  silence,  drew  a deep  breath,  and  fell  back  a 
corpse.  We  buried  him  on  the  spot,  and  vowed  a deep 
revenge,  which  we  faithfully  consummated : a few  nights 
afterwards,  the  wolves  were  tearing  the  flesh  from  three . 
corpses  over  the  fresh  grave.” 

Having  finished  his  tale,  my  host  sat  for  some  time 
with  his  head  leaning  on  his  hand,  thinking  of  times 
long  past.  His  wife  had  fallen  asleep : she  had  pro- 
bably, heard  the  tale  many  times  before,  and  as  it  was 
rather  late,  we  were  all  glad  to  retire. 

The  dogs  barked  several  times  during  the  night,  and 
about  an  hour  and  a half  before  daylight,  they  were 
quite  furious ; supposing  their  excitement  to  be  caused 
by  raccoons,  or  opossums,  we  started  up,  and  took  our 
guns,  called  the  dogs,  and  went  into  the  piercing  cold 
morning  air,  though  it  was  too  dark  to  see  one’s  hand; 
my  thin  deer-skin  moccasins  were  soon  frozen,  which  by 
no  means  added  to  my  agreeable  sensations.  The  bark 
of  the  dogs  soon  showed  that  they  had  chased  something 
to  a tree.  As  our  feet  were  dreadfully  cold,  and  it 
was  still  too  dark  to  shoot,  wre  lighted  a fire,  and 
though  the  dogs  enjoyed  its  warmth,  they  never  for- 
got the  object  of  our  being  there,  keeping  their  eyes 
21* 


246 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


fixed  on  the  tree,  and  giving,  from  time  to  time,  a 
short  impatient  howl.  At  length  a gleam  appeared  in 
the  east;  gradually  the  forms  of  the  nearest  objects 
became  visible ; as  the  light  increased,  we  could  make 
out,  on  one  of  the  upper  branches  of  a tree,  a dark  spot, 
which  afterwards  was  distinctly  seen  to  be  a raccoon. 
S — • raised  his  rifle  slowly,  and  took  aim ; the  dogs 
jumped  up,  and  looked  to  and  fro  from  the  muzzle  of 
the  gun  to  the  dark  spot  on  the  tree,  giving  a slight 
whine — the  piece  became  steady  — a flash  — a sharp 
report  — and  the  creature  fell  dead  from  the  top  of  the 
tree.  The  dogs  seized  it  instantly,  and  it  cost  some 
trouble  to  rescue  it  from  their  fangs,  before  the  skin 
was  quite  spoiled. 

We  returned  to  the  house,  and  rested  again  till  break- 
fast. After  breakfast  I went  out  to  shoot  turkeys,  which 
were  very  numerous ; but  when  I descended  to  the 
lower  valley  of  the  river,  I found  such  an  abundance 
of  winter  grapes,  that  I thought  no  more  of  my 
shooting,  but  gathering  a good  quantity,  I lay  down 
under  a tree  to  enjoy  them.  After  lying  there  about 
a couple  of  hours,  I was  roused  by  hearing  the  turkeys 
calling ; so,  hiding  myself  behind  a fallen  tree,  I used 
my  decoy  pipe,  and  ten  or  a dozen  stout  fellows  came 
strutting  along.  When  they  arrived  within  about 
twenty  paces  I gave  a whistle,  which  brought  them  to 
a stand,  and  I shot  the  largest  through  the  head. 
Satisfied  with  my  prize,  I returned  to  the  house,  and 
found  that  the  grapes  had  quite  spoiled  my  dinner. 

As  the  weather  turned  out  fine  and  warm  in  the 
afternoon,  we  determined  to  hunt  in  the  wood  for  a 


247 


BEE-HUNTING  IN  THE  BacKWOODS. 

swarm  of  wild  bees,  which  we  had  sought  for  in  vain 
about  six  months  before.  We  took  some  bait  with 
us,  and  went  to  a spot  about  half  a mile  off. 

To  induce  bees  to  take  bait  in  the  fall  of  the  year, 
the  hunter  looks  out  for  a small  open  space  in  their 
neighborhood,  and  if  he  cannot  find  one  he  must 
make  a clearance  with  his  knife  and  tomahawk,  stick 
a branch  upright  in  the  ground,  and  lay  someTeaves 
on  it  spread  with  a little  thinned  honey.  The  bees 
soon  discover  it,  and  when  they  have  got  as  much  of 
the  honey  as  they  can  carry,  they  rise  in  circles,  which 
become  larger  and  larger,  till  they  attain  a certain 
height;  then  they  dash  off  direct  for  their  own  tree, 
to  deposit  their  store  in  the  general  warehouse.  The 
bee-hunter  must  take  particular  notice  of  the  line  of 
their  flight,  which  requires  a good  eye,  and  then  carry 
his  bait  some  two  hundred  yards  further  in  that 
direction,  when  the  bees  will  soon  flock  round  it  again. 
If,  when  loaded,  they  keep  the  same  course,  it  is 
a sign  that  the  tree  is  still  in  that  direction,  and 
the  bait  must  be  carried  further,  until  they  fly  the 
other  way.  Then  the  bee-hunter  will  know  that  he 
has  passed  the  tree,  and  that  it  must  be  between  his 
present  and  his  last  station,  and  he  is  not  long  in 
finding  it.  When  he  comes  near  the  tree,  and  the 
bees  are  at  work,  their  unsteady  zizgag  flight  will 
betray  its  proximity. 

The  first  time  we  moved  our  bait,  the  bees  flew 
backward,  so  we  knew  we  could  not  be  more  than  a 
hundred  yards  from  their  tree  ; but  the  approaching 
night  prevented  our  discovering  it.  Next  morning 
about  ten  o’clock,  as  it  began  to  get  warm,  we  returned 


248 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


to  our  hunt,  and  in  less  than  half  an  hour,  found  the 
hole  where  the  little  laborers  were  passing  in  and 
out.  It  was  in  a nearly  decayed,  not  very  large  post- 
oak, a tree  that  prefers  moist  soils,  though  it  also 
grows  on  hills.  It  bears  small  and  rather  sweet 
acorns ; its  wood  is  very  durable,  and  will  remain  long 
in  the  ground  without  rotting.  I rode  hastily  back 
to  the  house,  for  we  had  taken  a horse  with  us  for  the 
chase,  and  returned  with  a pail,  an  axe,  a knife,  and 
a spoon.  The  tree  soon  fell  under  our  blows  — smoke 
was  made  — the  bees  stupefied  — an  opening  cut  — and 
a most  beautiful  sight  for  a bee-hunter  presented  itself, 
in  a number  of  well-filled  cells.  We  filled  the  pail  with 
the  best,  ate  as  much  as  our  stomachs  would  bear,  set 
the  tree  on  fire,  that  the  bees  might  not  lead  us  astray 
in  our  next  hunt,  and  returned  to  the  house. 

As  there  were  several  things  to  be  done  about  the 
house,  we  remained  at  home,  cut  down  firewood,  and 
carried  it  to  the  house,  ground  flour  in  Slowtrap’s 
excellent  steel  mill,  and  when  the  evening  shadows 
began  to  lengthen  fast,  we  sat  by  the  fire,  and  the  old 
fellow,  rendered  good-humored  by  the  successful  bee- 
hunt,  began  again  with  his  stories.  In  the  course  of 
the  day,  we  had  seen  a man  pass  by  with  a smooth- 
bored  gun,  and  as  such  a thing  was  a rarity  in  the 
backwoods,  the  conversation  turned  on  this  circum- 
stance. He  said:  “I  once  had  a smooth-bored  gun, 
called  a musket,  and  not  far  from  the  house  where 
we  then  lived  was  a small  lake,  generally  covered  with 
wild  fowl.  One  morning  I took  the  old  thumper,  for 
it  kicked  tremendously,  and  lounged  towards  the  lake 
to  have  a shot.  I had  not  gone  far  along  the  bank, 


DUCK-SHOOTING CURLY  THE  SETTLER.  249 

• hfh 

when  I saw  through  a gap  a number  of  ducks,  swim- 
ming quietly  on  the  other  side  of  a thick  bush ; a fallen 
tree  stretching  out  into  the  lake,  seemed  to  offer-  a good 
bridge  to  approach  them  by.  When  I got  to  the  end  of 
it,  and  was  about  sixty  yards  from  the  birds,  I raised 
the  heavy  old  musket  to  take  aim,  but  knowing  how  old 
kill-devil  kicked,  I leant  as  far  forward  as  possible,  with 
the  firm  conviction  that  the  recoil  would  drive  me  back 
on  the  tree.  Three  ducks  were  swimming  in  a line, 
and  thinking  this  a good  chance,  I pulled  the  trigger, 
leaning  if  possible  still  further  forward  in  the  act ; but 
it  only  snapped,  the  expected  recoil  failed,  and  I fell 
head  over  heels  into  the  lake.  I had  some  trouble  in 
getting  back  again  to  the  shore,  and  never  saw  ducks  or 
musket  again.” 

The  sky  seemed  to  promise  a continuance  of  fine 
weather,  and  as  there  was  no  prospect  at  present  of 
Slowtrap’s  visit  to  the  mountains,  I resolved  to  take  a 
little  shooting  excursion  alone.  The  shooting  on  the 
north  of  the  river  was  not  so  good  as  on  the  south,  as 
there  were  fewer  settlements  ; so  I determined  to  cross 
over,  and  try  my  luck.  A young  man  of  the  name  of 
Curly  lived  close  to  the  south  bank ; he  was  certainly 
strongly  suspected  of  horse-stealing,  but  in  other  respects 
was  a good  fellow,  and  a capital  sportsman ; his  little 
weakness  respecting  horse-flesh  was  a matter  of  indif- 
ference to  me  — he  could  not  steal  any  of  mine : so  I 
went  to  the  river  and  hailed,  when  he  soon  brought  his 
canoe  and  carried  me  across. 

He  was  easily  persuaded  to  accompany  me  for  a few 
days,  first  requesting  time  to  prepare  some  provisions. 
He  lived  in  a small  block-house  close  to  the  river,  sur- 


250 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


rounded  by  trees,  and  without  an  inch  of  cultivated 
land ; he  subsisted  mostly  by  shooting.  He  had  only 
lately  arrived  ; his  mother,  wife,  and  sister  lived  in  the 
house  with  him.  As  he  had  no  flour  in  store,  it  was 
necessary  to  grind  some,  but  his  mill  was  more  like  a 
mortar  than  any  thing  else.  Such  mills  are  frequent  in 
Arkansas.  A sound  tree  is  cut  off  about  three  feet 
from  the  ground,  and  hollowed  by  fire,  knife,  and 
chisel  till  it  will  hold  about  as  much  as  a pail;  it  is 
made  as  smooth  as  possible,  and  a logger-head,  or  pestle 
of  hard  wood,  is  suspended  to  a balanced  pole,  such  as 
is  frequently  fitted  to  wells.  It  may  be  imagined  that 
pounding  corn  in  this  way  is  hard  work,  and  as  only  a 
small  quantity  at  a time  can  be  prepared,  it  has  to  be 
done  before  every  meal ; but  this  is  the  only  resource 
of  all  those  who  are  too  poor  to  buy  a steel  mill.  At 
last  Curly  had  as  much  as  would  serve  for  two  days,  in 
case  we  shot  nothing.  He  rolled  up  in  his  blanket  all 
the  things  he  meant  to  take,  hung  his  tin  pot  and  toma- 
hawk to  his  belt,  and  off  we  set  into  the  glorious  free- 
dom of  the  forest. 

We  might  have  gone  about  three  miles,  when  we 
came  on  the  trail  of  several  deer,  though  we  had  seen 
nothing  of  the  precious  creatures  themselves ; and  as  it 
began  to  grow  dark,  and  we  found  ourselves  near  a 
bubbling  spring,  and  a black  hawberry  bush  looked 
very  attractive,  we  resolved  to  camp  there,  and  to  begin 
our  sport  as  early  as  possible  in  the  morning.  We  cast 
off  our  blankets,  laid  down  our  rifles,  and  collected 
wood  for  a fire,  the  night  promising  to  be  rather  cold. 
We  soon  had  a fire  of  which  a volcano  need  not  have 
been  ashamed,  and  lay  down  to  repose.  Our  supper  con- 


A PRIZE  — curly’s  mishap.  251 

sifted  of  dried  venison,  slices  of  bacon,  maize  bread, 
and  coffee  — a princely  repast  for  the  forest,  but  we 
hoped  to  have  fresh  meat  on  the  morrow. 

We  breakfasted  with  the  first  gleam  of  light,  fed  the 
dogs,  and  related  stories  till  it  was  light  enough  to  see 
the  sights  on  the  muzzles  of  the  rifles  ; then  taking  our 
preconcerted  directions,  we  trod  lightly  and  cautiously 
over  the  dried  leaves.  A little  before  sunrise  I heard 
the  crack  of  Curly’s  rifle  ; a few  minutes  later  a second 
report,  then  a third.  I stood  still  for  about  a quarter 
of  an  hour,  in  case  a frightened  deer  should  bound  past. 
Nothing  moved ; I continued  my  march.  I had  not 
gone  far  when  I saw  a majestic  buck  at  a walk.  I 
crept  lightly  to  a right  angle  with  his  course ; when 
about  eighty  yards  off,  I gave  a hail : he  stopped,  and 
my  ball  pierced  his  shoulder;  after  a few  bounds,  he 
lay  struggling  in  the  yellow  leaves.  Bearsgrease  rushed 
after  him,  but  finding  him  already  dead,  he  only  licked 
the  wound,  and  lay  quietly  beside  him,  waiting  for  his 
share  of  the  prize.  I took  the  skin  and  the  two  legs, 
hanging  the  latter  on  a tree  with  the  skin  over  them, 
cut  a few  bits  of  the  rest  for  Bearsgrease,  leaving  the 
remainder  for  the  wolves  and  vultures,  and  continued  my 
march.  Soon  after  I heard  a shot,  about  a hundred 
yards  off  on  the  other  side  of  a thick  jungle,  and  pro- 
ceeded towards  the  sound.  It  turned  out  to  be  Curly, 
who  had  killed  a turkey ; he  was  lying  under  a tree, 
and  told  me,  with  a mournful  visage,  that,  having 
wounded  a buck,  he  was  following  him  over  some  loose 
stones,  when  he  sprained  his  ankle,  and  could  hardly 
move,  being  obliged  to  leave  the  wounded  deer  to  its 
fate. 


252 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


As  we  had  traversed  the  country  in  a circle,  we  were 
not  far  from  our  last  night’s  camp.  I helped  him  to  it 
as  well  as  I could,  and  both  being  hungry,  we  roasted 
the  turkey.  But  Curly  had  lost  all  heart  for  shooting, 
and,  with  the  help  of  a big  stick,  limped  slowly  home- 
wards, where  he  could  lay  up  his  leg  to  nurse.  I could 
not  tear  myself  away  so  soon,  and  continued  my  sport 
alone. 

As  the  sky  grew  cloudy  and  threatening,  I made  a 
tent  of  my  blanket,  and  collected  wood  enough  to  defy 
any  quantity  of  rain  that  might  fall.  When  all  this 
was  arranged,  I went  to  the  tree  where  I had  left  my 
venison  and  skin,  and  to  give  Bearsgrease  another  feed 
from  the  carcase.  But  I was  too  late ; the  vultures 
had  left  nothing  but  the  bones,  and  had  torn  the  skin 
on  the  tree,  which,  however,  I was  in  time  to  rescue, 
and  hanging  it  over  my  shoulders,  with  the  legs  safe  in 
my  arms,  I returned  to  my  camp.  Having  made  a 
good  fire,  and  roasted  a slice  of  meat,  the  coffee  being 
all  gone,  and  the  bread  reduced  to  one  small  piece,  I 
fed  my  dog,  and  lay  down  to  repose.  About  midnight 
I was  awakened  by  a formidable  thunderstorm.  Bears- 
grease began  to  howl  dreadfully,  and  close  behind  me 
an  oak  burst  into  flames.  Flash  followed  flash,  while 
the  thunder  was  incessant ; the  whole  forest  seemed  to 
swim  in  a lake  of  fiery  brimstone,  the  rain  poured  in 
torrents,  and  the  little  stream  swelled  to  a foaming 
river.  When  the  storm  ceased,  silence  and  darkness 
took  its  place,  only  disturbed  by  the  rustling  of  the 
rain  falling  perpendicularly  on  the  leaves.  My  blanket 
protected  me  well ; I was  perfectly  dry,  and  soon  fast 
asleep  again.  Towards  morning  it  cleared  up,  and 


AN  UNPLEASANT  NOCTURNAL  VISITOR.  253 

the  weather  was  the  most  glorious  for  shooting  that 
could  possibly  be  imagined.  I was  on  foot  by  daybreak, 
and  by  ten  o’clock  I had  three  deer  hanging  to  the 
trees.  My  last  night’s  repose  having  been  broken  by 
the  storm,  and  yesterday’s  and  to-day’s  exertions  having 
fatigued  me  very  much,  I threw  myself  under  a tree, 
and  enjoyed  a delightful  nap.  The  sun  was  near  the 
horizon  when  I awoke,  and  there  was  hardly  time  for 
me  to  return  to  camp  and  collect  wood  before  dark, 
for  the  night  threatened  to  be  very  cold;  but  it  was 
bright  starlight,  and  my  blanket  was  dry,  — so  I rolled 
myself  comfortably  in  its  folds. 

I lay  awake  till  past  midnight,  giving  the  reins  to 
my  imagination  ; and  when  I fell  asleep  I dreamed  of 
stretched  deerskins,  and  that  Bearsgrease  was  chasing 
an  immense  buck,  when  his  loud  barking  and  howling 
awoke  me.  I patted  him  to  keep  him  quiet,  and  found 
his  hair  all  bristling  up.  I thought  wolves  must  be 
near  us ; and  listening  attentively,  I heard  the  cautious 
tread  of  some  heavy  beast  over  the  dry  frosty  leaves. 

I laid  some  dry  fir  branches,  which  were  near  me, 
on  the  fire,  to  make  it  burn  up  bright,  and  placed 
myself  between  it  and  the  noise  of  the  footsteps,  in 
order  to  distinguish  the  eyes  of  my  untimely  visitor, 
and  shoot  him.  Three  times  I caught  sight  of  two 
glowing  balls,  and  from  their  rapid  disappearance  I 
was  convinced  that  I had  to  do  with  a panther.  He 
went  round  and  round  the  fire  several  times,  but  never 
close  enough  for  me  to  distinguish  his  form ; — - and  I 
passed  half  an  hour  with  my  ^rifle  at  my  cheek,  in  the 
greatest  anxiety,  the  dog  pressing  close  to  my  side, 
with  all  his  nerves  on  the  stretch,  following  the  tread 
22 


254 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


of  the  panther,  and  giving  a fearful  howl  every  time 
he  passed  across  the  wind. 

The  brute,  not  possessing  courage  enough  to  attack, 
at  length  withdrew ; but  I remained  a good  quarter  of 
an  hour  longer  on  the  watch,  till  the  dog,  persuaded  that 
all  was  safe,  had  lain  down  again,  when  I followed  his 
example,  wrapped  myself  in  my  blanket,  and  was  soon 
fast  asleep. 

The  morning  was  bitterly  cold ; and  as  I had  nothing 
on  my  feet  but  a pair  of  thin  deer-skin  moccasins,  not 
even  stockings,  I thought  of  a plan  I had  learned  from 
an  old  sportsman,  and  bathed  my  feet  in  the  icy  cold 
water  of  the  stream,  dried  them  well,  and  put  on  my 
moccasins.  My  feet  were  soon  in  a glow,  and  remained 
warm  all  the  morning. 

I started  at  daylight,  and  followed  the  course  of  the 
stream  downwards;  but  the  bushes  grew  thicker  and 
thicker,  and  I was  about  returning  to  cross  the  hill  to 
another  brook,  when  I caught  sight  of  a noble  stag  in 
the  thicket  on  my  right.  I crept  quickly  and  silently 
round  the  bush  to  cut  him  off,  when  suddenly  I heard 
a most  heart-rending  cry  from  a deer.  My  first  impulse 
was  to  rush  towards  the  sound,  and  on  the  first  move- 
ment I made  for  this  purpose,  Bearsgrease  bounded  for- 
wards ; but  I thought  better  of  it,  and  a sharp  whistle 
stopped  the  dog  in  his  career.  A second  fainter  whistle 
brought  him  to  my  side ; then,  hiding  behind  a tree,  I 
reflected  on  what  was  best  to  be  done. 

The  shriek  certainly  came  from  a deer,  and  nothing 
but  a panther  could  ha^e  caused  it ; for  if  it  had  been 
a wolf,  all  would  not  have  been  silent  again  so  soon,  as 
a wolf  could  not  have  overpowered  a deer  so  quickly. 


SHOOTING  A PANTHER. 


255 


Now,  I had  often  heard  from  Americans  how  the 
panther  darts  on  his  prey,  kills  it  in  an  instant,  and, 
after  eating  his  fill,  buries  or  covers  up  the  rest  for  a 
future  meal.  I resolved  to  try  and  make  sure  of  the 
panther,  and,  if  possible,  to  creep  up  to  him  unperceived. 
I did  not  then  know  how  difficult  it  was  to  outwit  a 
panther ; but  this  time  fortune  favored  me. 

After  waiting  about  half  an  hour,  I thought  I might 
make  the  attempt,  and  crept  lightly  and  cautiously 
towards  the  thicket ; the  dog,  well  knowing  my  object, 
crept  as  silently  after  me.  Just  as  I gained  the  edge 
of  the  thicket,  and  was  looking  out  for  the  best  place 
to  enter  it  with  the  least  noise,  I heard  a light  rustling. 
My  heart  began  to  beat  violently;  the  bush  opened, 
and  my  eyes  encountered  the  fierce  orbs  of  the  pan- 
ther. Doubtless,  in  the  first  moment  of  surprise  he 
did  not  know  exactly  what  to  do ; but  his  surprise  did 
not  last  long : a panther  has  a bad  conscience,  and 
justly  supposes  a foe  in  every  living  being  not  belong- 
ing to  his  own  race  ; and,  crouching  down  about  twenty 
paces  from  me  in  the  yellow  grass,  he  was  preparing 
either  to  make  a spring,  or  to  hide  himself  — I could 
not  tell  which.  But  I was  not  idle ; during  the  time 
he  stooped,  my  arm  had  recovered  its  steadiness,  the 
rifle  cracked,  the  animal  made  one  spring  upwards,  and 
fell  dead  to  the  earth.  Bearsgrease  seized  him  on  the 
instant,  and  seemed  to  take  exquisite  pleasure  in  shak- 
ing the  skin  of  his  deadliest  foe ; and  he  cast  many  a 
longing  look  behind,  when,  at  my  command,  he  followed 
up  the  panther’s  trail.  We  soon  came  to  the  place 
where  he  had  killed  the  buck,  and  covered  it  with 
leaves  ; the  skin  had  been  so  mauled  that  it  was  useless, 


256 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


but  I stripped  off  the  panther’s,  and  set  out  on  my 
return  to  my  camp,  deciding  to  go  back  to  old  Slow- 
trap’s,  and  to  commence  my  march  to  the  Ozark  moun- 
tains as  soon  as  possible. 

On  arriving  at  the  camp  I tied  up  the  skin  with 
strips  of  bark,  and  although  I took  very  little  of  the 
venison  with  me,  I had  a heavy  load.  I reached 
Curly’s  in  the  evening.  As  it  was  nearly  dark,  I had 
no  fancy  for  crossing  the  river  at  night,  and  creeping 
for  half  an  hour  through  a cane-brake,  with  the  chance 
of  getting  my  eyes  poked  out;  so  I remained  with 
Curly.  The  house  was  small,  but  it  contained  two 
large  bedsteads,  one  table,  three  chairs,  two  plates,  and 
one  cup ; a hole  in  the  wall  did  duty  for  the  absent 
window. 

We  passed  a very  pleasant  evening.  Curly  sang 
well,  and  gave  us  a number  of  Irish  comic  songs,  till, 
tired  with  laughing  and  the  severe  exertions  of  the 
day,  I rolled  myself  in  my  blanket,  and  laid  myself  by 
the  fire.  I was  up  at  daybreak,  and  the  river  being 
low,  waded  through,  hastened  to  Slowtrap’s,  and  spread 
out  my  skin.  Slowtrap  was  out  shooting  wild  fowl, 
which  had  collected  in  such  numbers  on  a little  river 
running  into  the  Fourche  le  Fave,  that  I never  saw 
any  thing  like  it ; they  positively  covered  the  water,  and 
a good  double-barrelled  gun  might  have  done  immense 
havoc,  particularly  as  the  steep  banks  favored  the 
approach  to  within  thirty  yards  of  the  ducks. 

Supposing  the  old  fellow  not  to  be  far  off,  I took  my 
rifle,  and  lounged  down  to  the  brink  of  the  river ; not 
with  any  intention  of  shooting,  as  my  rifle  had  too  large 
a bore ; but  I came  upon  a string  of  ducks,  not  more 


■4b 

RETURN  TO  SLOWTRAP’S.  257 

than  fifteen  yards  off.  This  was  too  enticing ; I raised 
the  gun,  and  off  went  the  golden  green  head  of  the 
largest  of  them.  I reloaded,  fished  out  my  bird,  and 
was  turning  up  the  stream,  when  I heard  Slowtrap’s  gun 
above  a mile  off,  and  as  I had  no  intention  of  walking 
so  far,  I took  my  duck  by  the  neck  and  walked  home. 
Where  was  my  home  ? Wherever  I happened  to  be  — 
where  I had  erected  a bark  shed,  or  spread  my  blanket, 
or  lighted  a fire,  or  where  the  hospitable  roof  of  a 
farmer  or  backwoodsman  received  me ; though  the 
next  morning  might  find  me  with  all  my  goods  on  my 
back — no  heavy  burden  — seeking  new  shooting-ground, 
and  a new  home.  What  then  ? — I went  home,  and 
commenced  mending  my  old  moccasins  once  more, 
though  they  were  almost  worn  out ; and  as  I had  some 
tanned  deer-skin,  I cut  out  a new  pair,  for  the  others 
would  have  never  survived  a long  march. 


22* 


CHAPTER  IX. 


HUNTING  ANECDOTES  AND  EXPERIENCES  — CHRIST-. 
MAS CONWELL  AND  HIS  REMINISCENCES. 

A backwoods  gun  — Anecdote  of  a panther — My  dog  “ Bearsgrease  ” 

■ — Collmar’s  house  — Hunting  a tame  bear — Hunting  expedi- 
tion • — Hailstorm  — Spirit-seller  — Route  of  Eastern  Indians ; 
their  sufferings  — The  “ Mulberry”  river  — Christmas-eve  — 
Conwell,  the  old  settler — Hunting  with  Conwell — His  age  and 
robust  frame  — A bear — Fat  turkeys  — Anecdotes  of  the  In- 
dians; their  cunning — Anecdote  of  the  moccasins  — Method  of 
hanging  up  deer  — Dangerous  work  with  a buck  — Anecdote  of 
a buffalo-hunt  — successful  sport. 

Meantime  it  grew  dusk,  and  Slowtrap  returned  with 
seven  ducks,  three  of  which  had  had  their  heads  shot 
off.  Meat  was  now  plentiful.  After  S.  had  made 
himself  comfortable  — that  is  to  say,  had  taken  off  his 
hat,  laid  aside  his  rifle  and  pouch,  pulled  off  his  wet 
shoes  and  stockings,  taken  unto  himself  a slice  of  cold 
turkey,  with  its  appropriate  maize  bread  and  boiled 
pumpkin,  seated  himself  with  his  feet  to  the  fire,  cut 
off  a piece  of  his  chair  to  make  a toothpick,  and  begun 
complacently  to  pick  his  teeth,  a sure  sign  that  he  felt 
comfortable,  all  which  operations  took  about  three 
quarters  of  an  hour  — he  asked,  “Well,  what’s  the 
news  ? ” As  the  answer  was  not  encouraging,  another 
long  pause  ensued.  When  it  was  quite  dark,  and  a 
good  fire  was  burning,  his  wife  brought  us  some  bread 
(258) 


SURPRISED  BY  A PANTHER. 


259 


and  milk,  of  which  he  partook  largely,  and  then  began 
to  thaw,  and  speak  of  his  exploits : he  had  fired  eleven 
times,  and  his  piece  had  missed  fire  twenty-seven  times, 
a habit  the  old  flint  gun  had ; but  he  had  never- 
theless brought  home  seven  ducks,  and  he  had  seen  a 
fresh  panther  trail ; the  panther  had  probably  seen  him 
from  a tree,  and  jumped  down  and  escaped. 

He  took  particular  notice  of  my  panther  skin,  and 
thought  that  there  must  be  a number  of  them  about, 
but  that  formerly  there  were  more  than  twice  as  many 
in  Kentucky.  “Ah,  at  that  time,”  said  he,  “a  man 
might  shoot  five  or  six  deer  before  breakfast,  and  once  I 
had  got  up  at  daylight,  and  shot  two  noble  bucks,  and 
stalked  a third  for  half  a mile,  when  he  got  scent  of 
me,  and  escaped.  I was  tired  with  my  exertions,  and 
had  scarcely  any  sleep  all  night,  for  a rascally  panther 
had  been  howling  near  me,  and  several  times  came  so 
close  to  the  fire  that  I could  make  out  his  form,  though 
he  never  gave  me  time  to  put  a ball  into  him  with 
certainty.  So  I threw  myself  under  a tree,  to  rest  a 
little,  meaning  then  to  continue  my  sport;  but  some- 
how my  eyes  closed  unconsciously ; — and  I can’t  say  how 
long  I may  have  lain  there,  when,  still  half  asleep,  I 
heard  a strong  rustling  amongst  the  dry  leaves  which 
surrounded  me,  and  felt  that  they  were  being  thrown 
over  me,  so  that  I was  quite  covered  in  a few  minutes. 
Surprise  at  first,  and  then  an  instinct  of  danger,  which  I 
did  not  quite  understand,  kept  me  mgtionless,  awaiting 
the  result:  before  I had  formed  any  resolution,  I heard 
something  moving  stealthily  away,  and  cautiously  raising 
my  head,  saw  a panther  disappear  in  the  thicket.  My 
first  act  was  to  jump  up  and  look  to  my  priming,  and 


260 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


as  I saw  nothing  more  of  the  beast,  though  I was  sure 
that  it  would  return,  I resolved  to  oppose  cunning  to 
cunning.  A piece  of  a broken  bough  lay  near;  I 
dragged  it  to  the  spot,  and  covered  it  carefully  with 
dried  leaves  — then,  slinging  my  rifle  on  my  back,  I 
mounted  a neighboring  oak  to  await  in  patience,  but 
with  a beating  heart,  the  conclusion  of  the  adventure, 
as  the  panther  might  return  at  any  moment.  I may 
have  sat  for  rather  more  than  half  an  hour,  my  eyes 
steadfastly  fixed  on  the  place  where  the  panther  had 
vanished,  when  the  bough  began  to  move,  and  the 
female  panther  (for  a female  it  turned  out  to  be), 
reappeared  with  two  cubs,  intending,  no  doubt,  that  I 
should  serve,  as  supper  for  the  family.  This  time  she 
had  reckoned  without  her  host.  I remained  silent  and 
motionless  in  the  tree,  watching  every  movement  and 
keeping  the  rifle  in  readiness.  She  crept  stealthily  to 
within  fifteen  paces  of  the  spot  where  she  had  left  me 
covered  up  with  leaves,  and  crouched  down  with  her 
green  eyes  glaring  upon  the  log ; the  next  instant  she 
made  a spring,  struck  the  claws  of  both  her  fore  feet 
into  it,  and  buried  her  sharp  fangs  deep  in  the  rotten 
wood.  When  she  found  herself  deceived  she  remained 
for  a moment  or  two  in  the  same  attitude,  quite  con- 
founded. I did  not  leave  her  much  time  for  considera- 
tion ; my  ball  crashed  through  her  brain,  and  she  fell 
dead  on  her  supposed  prey,  without  a moan.  I killed 
the  two  young  oi^ps  easily  enough.” 

He  had  hardly  finished  the  anecdote,  when  the  dogs 
began  to  bark,  and,  by  and  by,  we  jumped  up  to  see 
what  was  the  matter.  It  was  a neighbor,  named 
Collmar,  from  the  other  side  of  the  hill.  I took  the 


A NEW  HUNTING  EXCURSION. 


261 


saddle  off  his  horse,  and  laid  it  under  one  of  the  beds, 
tied  up  the  horse  to  a young  tree,  shoved  a roughly- 
hewn  trough  before  him,  which  I filled  with  maize,  and 
his  eager  munching  proved  how  well  he  was  satisfied 
with  all  the  proceedings.  Collmar  had  come  over  the 
hill  to  invite  us  to  assist  in  erecting  a new  house.  He 
had  collected  all  the  logs  on  the  spot,  and  now,  accord- 
ing to  American  custom,  was  calling  on  his  neighbors 
to  come  and  assist  in  raising  them.  S.  was  his  nearest 
neighbor  but  one,  and  lived  nine  miles  distant;  the 
next  dwelt  eight  miles  further. 

I promised  to  come  at  all  events,  but  it  was  against 
Slowtrap’s  habit  to  promise  any  thing  two ‘days  in  ad- 
vance. Besides,  his  wife  and  his  youngest  child  were 
both  unwell.  We  shortened  the  evening  with  stories 
and  anecdotes.  Collmar  was  off  with  the  dawn  to  pre- 
pare for  the  following  day.  I took  my  rifle  and  lounged 
into  the  forest  with  Bearsgrease  to  look  for  a turkey. 
He  drove  a gang  into  the  trees,  at  less  than  half  a mile 
from  the  house ; but  the  wood  was  so  thick  and  over- 
grown, that  before  I could  come  up  to  see  which  trees 
they  had  perched  in,  they  had  so  hidden  amongst  the 
branches  that  there  was  not  a trace  of  them  to  be  seen. 
I therefore  whistled  for  my  dog,  and  hid  behind  a tree 
to  await  the  time  when  they  would  think  themselves 
safe,  and  begin  to  call.  I had  not  long  to  wait;  erelong 
they  began  to  cry,  and  about  a hundred  yards  in  front 
of  me,  a large  cock  raised  himself  on  a branch,  where 
he  had  nestled  without  my  perceiving  him.  Without 
trying  to  get  nearer,  I took  aim  at  once,  and  hit  the 
turkey,  which  fell  flapping  from  the  tree ; but  the  bushes 
were  so  thick  that  I should  have  lost  him,  had  not 


262 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


Bearsgrease  dashed  in  with  the  greatest  intrepidity,  in 
spite  of  thorns  and  creepers.  The  turkey,  whose  fall 
had  been  broken  by  the  wild  vines,  had  no  sooner 
touched  the  ground,  than  he  made  a quick  run  for  a 
cane-brake,  and  disappeared,  with  Bearsgrease  bound- 
ing and  barking  on  his  trail.  On  forcing  my  way 
through  the  canes,  I witnessed  an  interesting  struggle 
between  the  two.  The  dog  was  still  young,  and  the 
turkey  a fellow  of  twenty  or  twenty -two  pounds ; and 
Bearsgrease,  knowing  that  he  must  not  injure  him, 
tried  to  hold  him  with  his  fore  paws,  whilst  the  turkey, 
which  was  only  wounded  in  the  left  wing,  constantly 
succeeded  ki  escaping,  and  running  a yard  or  two  be- 
fore the  dog  could  pin  him  again.  After  watching  them 
for  some  time,  I put  an  end  to  the  struggle  by  cutting 
off  the  turkey’s  head  with  my  knife,  and  carried  him 
home.  I then  saddled  Slowtrap’s  old  pony,  and  set  off 
over  the  mountain  to  gain  Collmar’s  house  before  night, 
leaving  Bearsgrease  behind  me. 

The  hills  and  rivers  south  of  the  Arkansas  almost  all 
run,  like  that  river,  from  west  to  east,  and  the  hills 
have  a peculiar  formation.  The  middle  row  or  back- 
bone ridge  is  the  highest,  and  generally  on  either  side 
are  two  or  three  lower  ranges  of  hills,  running  parallel 
to  the  main  range,  and  sloping  more  and  more  towards 
the  plain.  All  the  smaller  rivers  which  run  into  the 
Arkansas  from  this  side,  have  such  hills  between  them. 
I rode  slowly  up  and  down  these  hills  looking  out  for 
game.  I had  left  my  hunting-shirt  behind,  and  a 
sharp  north  wind  began  to  chill  me  a little ; but  I did 
not  like  covering  myself  with  the  blanket  which  lay 
across  my  saddle.  Suddenly  I saw  a fox  watching  me 


THE  FOX “STOLE  AWAY.” 


263 


from  the  side  of  a hill  beyond  a little  brook.  I raised 
myself  slowly  in  the  saddle,  and  fired ; but  my  hand 
shook  so  with  the  cold  that  I missed  him.  After  the 
report,  when  the  smoke  cleared  away,  the  fox  had  dis- 
appeared ; I jumped  off  and  ran  to  the  place  where  he 
had  been  standing,  to  see  if  I could  find  traces  of  the 
ball  — finding  none  I reloaded,  and  returned  to  the 
horse,  which  was  quietly  grazing.  With  my  left  foot  in 
the  stirrup,  and  in  the  act  of  throwing  my  right  leg 
over  the  saddle,  what  was  my  astonishment  to  see  the 
fox  in  the  same  place  as  before,  looking  as  unconcerned 
as  if  nothing  had  happened  ! I had  to  turn  my  horse 
before  I could  take  aim,  and  the  fox  turned  at  the  same 
time.  A loud  whistle  made  him  stop  for  a moment  to 
see  what  it  was ; he  was  off  again  before  I could  fire, 
but  not  quick  enough  to  escape  my  ball.  The  jump 
he  gave  showed  he  was  hit ; so,  throwing  myself  off 
the  horse,  I hastened  after  him.  When  he  heard  the 
bushes  rustling,  he  stood  still  to  listen.  This  allowed 
me  to  approach  him : the  shot  had  broken  his  left  hind 
leg ; and,  throwing  away  every  thing  that  hindered  me 
in  running,  I darted  after  him.  Dragging  his  wounded 
leg,  he  limped  along  the  side  of  the  hill ; but,  finding 
that  I gained  on  him,  he  turned  towards  the  summit. 
I had  run  for  a good  half  mile,  and  too  much  out  of 
breath  to  breast  the  hill,  I soon  lost  sight  of  him. 
Heated  and  tired,  I returned  to  the  horse,  picking  up 
my  rifle,  powder-horn,  pouch,  and  cap,  by  the  way, 
enveloped  myself  in  my  blanket,  and  mounted  my 
patient  steed. 

I soon  crossed  the  highest  summit  of  the  range,  and 
running  down  by  the  side  of  a small  stream  southwards 


264 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


from  the  hills,  in  about  an  hour  and  a half  arrived  at 
the  place  where  Collmar’s  house  was  to  be  built,  and 
where  some  of  those  who  had  arrived  before  me  were 
occupied  in  cutting  the  logs. 

The  ground  was  already  prepared  and  planks  cut ; 
other  neighbors  arrived  from  time  to  time  with  their 
dogs  and  guns,  and  the  clearing  was  filled  with  laughing, 
talkative  groups. 

The  horses  were  hobbled  near  some  reeds,  with 
plenty  of  maize  shaken  down  in  a dry  place.  In  the 
evening,  we  all  assembled  at  Collmar’s  hut,  or  rather 
shed,  formed  of  boards  fastened  together,  supported  by 
poles,  and  containing  three  roughly-hewn  bedsteads,  a 
weaver’s  loom,  and  two  spinning-wheels.  It  may  have 
been  about  fifty  feet  long  and  twenty  wide,  with  the 
floor  as  nature  supplied  it.  Rifles  and  saddles  lay 
about;  three  pairs  of  deer  hams  adorned  one  corner, 
and  dried  pumpkins  hanging  to  poles,  formed  the  sky  to 
this  paradise. 

Immense  blazing  logs  were  heaped  up  in  one  black- 
ened corner,  and  from  time  to  time  it  was  necessary  to 
throw  a pail  of  water  over  the  fire  to  prevent  the 
planks  from  burning ; and  then  clouds  of  ashes 
threatened  us  with  the  fate  of  Herculaneum  and 
Pompeii. 

All  sorts  of  cooking  utensils  were  crowded  round  the 
fire — a turkey  was  stuck  upon  a stick  to  roast  by  the 
side  of  an  opossum,  dangling  on  a string  from  the 
roof.  Notwithstanding  my  long  abode  amongst  people 
who  were  passionately  fond  of  this  article  of  food,  I 
could  never  bring  myself  to  eat  a thing  with  a rat’s  head 
and  tail,  and  hand-like  claws.  The  prospect  of  a good 


THE  TWO  OLD  CATTLE-DEALERS. 


265 


supper  was  a delight  to  my  hungry  stomach.  Mean- 
time, I was  much  diverted  by  a bargain  about  cows 
going  on  between  two  old  backwoodsmen:  but,  before 
discussing  this  subject,  it  will  be  as  well  to  say  some- 
thing of  the  other  inmates  of  the  shed.  Collmar’s 
wife,  a stout,  strong-built  woman  of  about  thirty-four, 
with  two  daughters  of  fourteen  and  ten,  were  all  that 
belonged  to  the  fair  sex.  They  werje  busily  employed 
about  the  fire  with  long-handled  spoons,  turning  the 
meat  in  the  frying-pans,  and  basting  the  turkey  and 
opossum ; five  smaller  figures,  with  a tin  pot  of  milk 
in  one  hand  and  a lump  of  maize  bread  in  the  other, 
huddled  near  the  fire,  stared  at  the  strangers  with 
all  their  eyes.  The  hostess  soon  made  room  for  the 
company  by  sending  the  children  to  bed.  But  to  return 
to  the  bargainers  about  the  cows.  Instead  of  each 
praising  his  own  cow,  they  found  so  much  fault  with 
them,  that  their  own  calves,  if  they  had  heard  it, 
must  have  felt  ashamed  of  them.  After  above  an  hour’s 
discussion  on  the  faults  and  failings  of  their  horned 
property,  they  observed  that  they  could  not  part  with 
them  without  giving  something  into  the  bargain,  as 
even  their  hides  were  worth  nothing.  These  calumnies 
were  put  an  end  to  by  the  announcement,  “ Supper  is 
ready.”  Boxes,  chairs,  and  logs  were  placed  round  the 
table  for  seats.  Turkey,  venison,  pork,  opossum,  maize 
bread,  and  the  favorite  beverage  of  the  backwoods- 
man, coffee,  disappeared  so  rapidly  that  soon  nothing 
was  left  but  the  bones  of  the  animals,  the  remembrance 
of  the  bread,  and  the  grounds  of  the  coffee.  One  after 
another  rose  when  he  had  had  enough,  and  then  the 
woman-folk,  who  had  wisely  kept  something  for  theni- 
23 


266 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


selves,  took  their  places.  This  is  one  of  the  customs  of 
the  West  which  always  displeased  me.  The  hostess 
seldom  sits  down  to  table  with  the  men,  except  now 
and  then  at  tea  or  coffee.  The  other  custom,  that  of 
rising  when  they  had  had  enough,  without  regard  to 
those  who  remained  at  table,  was  not  so  bad. 

After  supper  the  company  formed  various  groups, 
and  the  conversation  turned  on  shooting,  pasture 
grounds,  the  survey  of  the  land  that  had  recently  been 
accomplished,  and  then  on  religion.  Words  soon  ran 
high;  for  among  the  company  were  Methodists,  Bap- 
tists, Presbyterians,  and  unbelievers  — * but  all  disputes 
were  put  an  end  to  by  the  arrival  of  two  large  jugs  of 
whiskey,  each  containing  about  four  bottles,  which 
Collmar  had  sent  his  eldest  son,  a lad  of  fifteen,  to  fetch 
from  a distant  store.  The  boy  had  been  obliged  to  ride 
slowly  for  fear  of  breaking  the  jugs. 

The  old  bear-shooters  were  highly  amused  at  the  fol- 
lowing account  one  of  the  party  gav6  of  a bear-hunt  that 
had  occurred  in  North  Carolina,  and  which  gave  a sad 
picture  of  the  low  state  to  which  field  sports  had  fallen 
there.  “ In  order  to  have  a bear-hunt  several  farmers 
met,  and  let  loose  a tame  two-year-old  bear,  giving 
him  half  an  hour’s  law,  and  then  following  with  horse 
and  hound.  The  bear  made  straight  for  some  hills, 
and  in  about  an  hour  and  a half’s  time  was  chased 
into  a tree.  Not  wishing  to  kill  him,  no  one  had 
brought  a rifle ; so  I went  to  a house  about  half  a mile 
off,  and  borrowed  an  axe  to  cut  down  the  tree.  The 
bear  looked  with  inquisitive  eyes  on  the  proceedings 
below,  and  did  not  appear  to  suspect  danger,  till  the 
tree  fell  with  a tremendous  crash ; men  and  dogs 


BEAR-HUNTING  EXTRAORDINARY* 


267 


threw  themselves  on  the  half-stunned  bear,  to  secure 
him  and  take  him  home;  but  the  majority  voted  for 
another  hunt,  so  the  dogs  were  held  in  and  the  bear 
let  loose.  After  a time,  we  all  went  after  him  again ; 
this  time  the  chase  lasted  longer,  as  the  bear  swam  a 
river,  and  to  avoid  a wetting  we  turned  off  to  a bridge, 
giving  the  bear  a great  advantage.  At  length,  wh^n 
we  got  close  to  him,  he  took  to  an  enormous  fir-tree, 
and  we  all  assembled  under  it ; none  of  us  knew  how 
to  get  him  down  again.  We  were  several  miles  from 
any  house,  and  had  left  the  axe  behind  us,  and  he 
seemed  to  set  us  at  defiance  in  his  lofty  position. 
Nevertheless  he  did  not  seem  quite  at  his  ease,  and 
kept  looking  anxiously  first  on  one  side,  and  then  on 
the  other,  at  the  dogs  who  were  jumping  and  barking 
round  the  trunk  of  the  tree.  This  inspired  an  old 
Virginian  of  the  party  with  a new  idea.  There  were 
several  pine  branches  lying  about  ; so,  taking  up 
one  of  the  heaviest  and  longest,  he  commenced  striking 
the  tree  wfflh  all  his  force.  At  the  first  blow,  the  bear 
gave  a start  as  if  electrified,  and  at  the  second  or  third 
he  darted  down  like  lightning  among  the  dogs,  when 
he  was  soon  secured  and  taken  home.  He  was  once 
more  allowed  to  run  about  for  a couple  of  years,  when 
he  grew  very  fat,  and  in  good  condition  for.  killing, 
and  he  was  slaughtered  accordingly.”  When  the  story 
was  ended,  we  wrapped  ourselves  in  our  blankets,  and 
slept  soundly,  though  occasionally  disturbed  by  some 
thirsty  souls  who  rose  to  get  a drink.  It  was  lucky 
for  those  who  were  lying  in  the  outer  rows  that  most 
of  the  water  seekers  wore  moccasins. 

We  were  up  at  daybreak,  and  prepared  to  build  the 


268 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


house  by  first  making  a large  fire  to  warm  our  hands 
and  feet.  A man  with  an  axe  stood  in  each  corner  of 
the  rising  house,  to  Cut  the  mortices  and  fit  them  into 
each  other,  while  the  rest  of  the  party  raised  the  logs  ; 
no  trifling  labor,  as  the  house  was  to  have  two  stories. 
By  the  evening,  it  was  all  up  except  the  roof,  when  rain 
began  to  fall,  and  the  logs  became  too  slippery  to  admit 
of  our  standing  on  them  ; so  the  completion  was  left  till 
dry  weather. 

We  remained  the  night  at  Collmar’s,  and  departed 
next  day  on  our  various  ways,  after  a very  frugal  break- 
fast, for  we  had  devoured  all  his  store. 

It  was  cold  and  foggy,  and  I was  glad  to  get  to 
Hogarth’s,  where  I passed  the  night,  returning  next 
day  to  Slowtrap’s.  On  relating  the  extraordinary 
behavior  of  the  fox,  he  gave  one  of  his  smiles,  and  told 
many  droll  stories  of  the  tricks  of  foxes,  and  one  of 
a wild-cat,  which  attacked  a man  in  the  marshes  of  the 
Cash.  The  man  had  gone  out  early  in  the  morning 
to  shoot  a turkey,  and  hearing  a cock  golffmng  away 
with  all  his  might,  he  placed  himself  behind  a fallen 
tree,  and  began  to  use  his  call,  when  a wild-cat,  prob- 
ably deceived  by  the  sound,  sprang  upon  him  like  a 
fury,  and  attempted  to  bite  through  the  veins  of  his 
neck.  He  found  it  impossible  to  pull  the  beast  off, 
and  was  obliged  to  kill  it  behind  his  back  with  his 
scalping-knife ; he  was  confined  to  his  bed  for  several 
weeks,  before  he  recovered  from  the  ugly  wounds  caused 
by  the  cat’s  teeth  and  claws. 

The  weather  cleared  up  next  morning,  and  as  old 
Slowtrap  was  still  unprepared  for  his  journey,  I resolved 
to  cross  the  river  to  shoot,  and  went  to  Curly’s  on  the 


DEER-STALKING  BY  NIGHT. 


269 


same  day.  As  the  deer  kept  themselves  close  hid  in  the 
daytime,  we  determined  to  have  a shot  in  the  night. 
An  iron  pan  was  soon  prepared,  and  with  my  old  German 
game-bag,  which  had  accompanied  me  in  all  my  wan- 
derings, full  of  kindlers,  our  rolled-up  blankets  on  our 
shoulders,  we  set  off  as  soon  as  it  was  dark.  A sharp 
wind  had  made  the  leaves  so  dry  in  the  course  of  a few 
hours,  that  our  footsteps  might  be  heard  at  three  hun- 
dred yards  otf ; consequently  we  saw  no  deer,  and  after 
carrying  the  pan  to  and  fro  for  about  three  hours,  we 
got  tired  of  such  useless  trouble.  On  arriving  at  a small 
stream,  we  made  a good  fire,  and  after  a frugal  supper 
had  set  our  chins  for  a very  short  time  in  motion,  we 
rolled  ourselves  in  our  blankets,  and  lay  down  each  with 
his  dog  pressed  close  to  his  side. 

We  rose  at  daybreak,  and  following  different  routes, 
appointed  a rendezvous  at  Curly’s,  as  we  did  not  mean 
to  make  a long  affair  of  it.  Bad  luck  seemed  to 
stick  to  us,  for  though  we  found  plenty  of  trails,  we 
saw  no  game.  At  length  Bearsgrease  found  a fresh 
trail,  and  followed  it  up,  often  looking  round  to  see  if 
I was  near  him ; so  I kept  as  close  as  possible.  Sud- 
denly he  stood  still  and  pointed,  and  an  old  buck  got 
up  about  fifty  yards  from  us,  and  made  a half  circle 
round  us.  When  I gave  a hail,  he  stood  still  as  if  to 
ask  what  I wanted.  It  happened  that  I was  to  wind- 
ward of  him ; and  snuffing  the  air  he  gave  a bound, 
which  caused  my  ball  to  strike  too  far  backwards 
under  his  spine,  bringing  him  on  his  haunches.  Bears- 
grease had  been  observing  it  all  with  remarkable 
patience,  only  turning  his  head  from  one  to  the  other ; — 
but  now  giving  vent  to  his  eagerness  he  darted  on  the 
23  * 


270 


WILD  SPOUTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


deer,  seized  him  by  the  jaw,  and  springing  over  his  back, 
brought  him  to  the  ground.  I had  now  a good  oppor- 
tunity of  cutting  the  deer’s  throat,  but  wished  to  give 
the  dog  a little  practice,  and  I watched  the  struggle 
with  the  greatest  interest.  The  buck  was  one  of  twelve 
branches,  and  had  the  full  use  of  the  forepart  of  his 
body.  He  strove  to  hit  the  dog  with  his  sharp  hoof, 
and  to  run  his  horns  into  him ; but  the  dog  cleverly 
eluded  all  his  attempts,  and  at  last  seizing  him  by  the 
throat,  held  him  'fast,  while  I ended  his  torments  with 
my  knife. 

As  Slowtrap  had  assured  me  that  he  would  be  ready 
to  make  the  long-expected  journey  in  a few  days,  I 
would  not  delay.  I skinned  the  deer,  packed  the  two 
haunches  in  the  skin,  fed  the  dog,  and  trudged  away 
heavily  laden  up  and  down  hill  to  Curly’s  house. 

Slowtrap  was  not  ready.  It  was  quite  out  of  his 
character  to  be  hurried.  I saw  no  end  of  his  awful 
procrastination ; yet  there  was  nothing  left  for  it  but 
patience.  On  my  arrival,  he  was  busy  making  a sledge 
to  draw  wood,  that  his  wife  might  have  enough  for 
several  weeks ; this  was  no  trifle,  considering  what 
enormous  logs  were  consumed  in  these  fireplaces. 

The  next  day  was  a washing-day  — and  a washing-day 
in  most  places,  and  in  Arkansas  in  particular,  is  an  awful 
thing  to  a man  whether  married  or  not.  Curly’s 
young  wife  and  sister  had  volunteered  to  assist,  and  to 
me  was  deputed  the  honor  of  escorting  them ; I 
buckled  a blanket  on  the  horse,  and  rode  over,  but  as 
all  three  could  not  find  room  at  once,  I had  to  make 
two  trips.  All  the  American  women  are  good  riders. 
Curly’s  wife  jumped  up  lightly  behind  me,  and  held  on 


BUCK-SHOOTING. 


271 


by  my  belt.  Away  we  went  at  a gallop  through  the 
foaming  though  shallow  river  and  thick  forest,  to  Slow- 
trap’s  house,  where  having  safely  deposited  my  charge, 
I hastened  back  for  the  sister.  I had  now  to  think  of 
my  own  safety,  as  it  would  have  been  foolhardiness  to 
have  remained  near  three  women  on  a washing-day. 
Being  tired  from  yesterday’s  exertions,  to  take  a long 
walk,  I decided  on  shooting  wild-fowl ; so  seizing  S.’s 
long  rifle  with  a hundred  balls  to  the  pound,  I sauntered 
down  to  Porter’s  Creek.  The  nuri&er  of  ducks  was 
astounding.  I lay  down  in  a quiet  shady  place,'  and 
only  fired  when  a good  opportunity  offered,  Bearsgrease 
securing  the  prize.  To  be  sure  he  frightened  the  others 
away,  but  only  for  a time ; they  soon  returned,  and  by 
the  evening  I had  bagged  thirteen. 

The  two  next  days  were  wet  and  disagreeable.  All 
we  could  do  was  to  cut  and  stack  wood.  When  the 
sun  again  shone  through  the  clouds  on  the  moist 
smoking  ground,  it  was  the  12th  of  December,  and  I 
went  again  over  to  Curly’s  to  shoot  another  deer  before 
the  journey,  if  possible.  Old  Collmar  was  there 
and  a young  man  of  the  name  of  Martin,  who  was 
rather  eccentric ; he  was  about  twenty-five,  and  had 
not  a single  hair  on  his  head.  He  used  to  tell  extra- 
ordinary stories  as  to  the  cause  of  his  baldness,  in  which 
he  frequently  got  confused,  when  he  would  start  up, 
rush  out  of  the  house,  and  never  show  himself  again 
the  whole  day.  Sometimes  when  he  was  engaged  to 
work,  he  would  steal  away,  leaving  his  wages,  and 
sometimes  his  clothes.  We  gained  from  him,  that  he 
had  married  a wooden-legged  woman  in  Illinois,  and 
had  left  her  there ; but  he  told  it  in  such  a way  that 


272 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


we  doubted  its  truth.  He  told  the  most  absurd  stories 
of  what  he  had  seen  and  experienced,  and  flew  into 
the  most  violent  passions  if  the  least  doubt  was  mani- 
fested. Thus  passed  the  afternoon.  When  it  was  dark 
C.  and  I took  our  firepan  to  try  our  luck  once  more. 
We  went  southwards  towards  the  hills,  in  the  first  in- 
stance, and  then  turned  to  the  westward,  the  stars 
shining  brightly;  but  gradually  thick  clouds  began  to 
appear,  and  some  flashes  of  lightning  were  visible. 
We  continued  walking  in  the  same  direction  without 
seeing  any  deer,  and  may  have  gone  on  about  three 
quarters  of  an  hour  when  we  came  to  a clearing.  Look- 
ing upwards  to  find  our  way  by  the  stars,  we  saw,  to  our 
horror,  that  the  whole  sky  was  one  mass  of  black  clouds, 
t had  now  left  my  compass  at  home,  the  wind  blew  in 
violent  gusts,  and  thunder  in  the  distance  kindly  gave 
us  notice  that  a storm  was  approaching. 

Nothing  is  easier  than  to  lose  one’s  way  in  the  forest 
by  torchlight ; for  the  fire  lights  up  only  a few  paces 
around,  giving  a peculiar  appearance  to  the  trees,  and 
all  beyond  thirty  yards  is  the  blackest  darkness,  and  all 
points  of  the  compass  look  alike.  I now  recollected  that 
when  I last  carried  the  pan  (for  we  took  it  in  turns),  I 
had  observed  it  was  lightning  under  the  north  star, 
which  was  not  then  covered  by  clouds,  and  we  con- 
cluded that  the  storm  must  have  advanced  towards  the 
east.  A heavy  clap  of  thunder  informed  us  that  we 
had  no  time  to  lose;  so  we  beat  our  retreat,  keeping 
the  lightning  on  the  left  hand.  We  may  have  been 
about  two  miles  from  Curly’s  house ; the  lightning 
came  quicker  and  brighter,  the  thunder  louder,  and  we 
fled  like  two  ghosts  with  our  waving  flame,  when  by 


THUNDERSTORMS  IN  ARKANSAS. 


273 


one  of  the  flashes  Curly  distinguished  the  roof  of  his 
abode ; we  hastened  to  it  as  fast  as  our  legs  would  carry 
us,  dashed  in,  and  fastened  the  door,  just  as  the  hail 
came  down  as  if  it  was  trying  to  split  every  plank  on 
the  roof.  As  we  looked  at  each  other  we  broke  into 
such  an  immoderate  fit  of  laughter,  that  we  could 
scarcely  recover  ourselves.  The  noise  of  our  arrival, 
the  thunder,  hail,  and  our  loud  laugh  awoke  all  the 
inmates.  Martin’s  handkerchief,  which  he  wore  at 
night  to  cover  his  pate,  had  slipped  off,  and  his  queer 
appearance,  as  he  looked  at  us  with  astonishment,  set 
us  off  laughing  again. 

Meantime  the  hail  gave  place  to  heavy  rain;  but 
“ savage  tyrants  reign  not  long,”  and  presently  the 
beauteous  stars  looked  down  quite  cheerily  upon  us. 

Storms  are  frequent  in  Arkansas,  and  occasionally 
hurricanes,  which  will  sweep  a district  of  a mile  in 
width  and  several  miles  in  length,  levelling  every  thing 
in  their  path.  After  a time  blackberries,  thorns,  and 
creepers,  grow  so  luxuriantly  over  the  heaps  of  fallen 
trees,  as  to  make  the  thickets  quite  impenetrable  in 
many  places,  offering  a secure  refuge  to  bears,  &c. 

On  returning  to  Slowtrap’s,  we  began  in  earnest  to 
make  preparations  for  the  long-expected,  long-delayed 
journey.  In  S.’s  good  steel  mill  we  ground  flour 
enough  to  last  the  family  till  his  return,  put  our  knives 
and  rifles  in  order,  and  finally  started  on  the  morning 
of  the  19  th  of  December. 

It  was  a bright  cold  winter’s  day,  when,  with  our 
three  dogs  bounding  about  us,  we  commenced  our 
march ; Slowtrap  on  his  nag,  which  carried,  besides, 
a sack  of  provisions,  our  blankets,  and  my  skins,  while 


274 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  PAR  WEST. 


I stepped  out  briskly  in  a hunting-shirt,  leggings,  and 
moccasins,  an  untanned  raccoon-skin-cap,  and  with  no 
pack  to  carry.  S.  as  he  sat  on  his  horse  looked 
as  if  he  must  weigh  at  least  twenty  stone,  his  wife  had 
heaped  so  many  clothes  on  him,  while  my  accoutre- 
ments were  all  of  summer  stuff ; but  the  exercise  pre- 
vented me  from  feeling  cold,  as  we  jogged  along  a small 
cart-track  through  the  thick  forest. 

The  first  part  of  our  journey  led  through  marshes,  - 
but  we  soon  reached  the  hills  that  divide  the  “ petit 
Jean”  from  the  “ Fourche  le  Fave,”  and  with  them,  dry 
land.  The  people  of  Yell  county  had  selected  a spot 
near  the  “ petit  Jean  ” for  a new  county  seat  for  the 
sessions.  The  infant  town  consisted  of  exactly  the 
same  number  of  buildings  as  Perryville,  viz.  two 
houses  and  a stable.  When  a town  is  founded  in 
America,  the  streets  are  first  marked  off,  by  cutting 
away  a piece  of  bark  from  the  trees,  and  boards  are 
nailed  up  at  the  corners  with  the  names,  such  as,  Main- 
street,  Second-street,  Walnut-street,  Elm-street,  &c., 
and  sometimes,  when  in  the  forest,  a man  may  find  that 
he  is  in  the  high  street  of  a town. 

If  the  position  of  the  new-born,  newly-christened 
town  be  a good  one,  it  grows  incredibly  fast;  in  the 
contrary  case,  it  looks  desolate  enough  — • merchants  and 
travellers  desert  it,  houses  are  left  unfinished  and  fall 
to  pieces,  and  the  court-house,  as  I once  saw  near  White 
River,  may  be  turned  into  a corn-crib. 

In  Danville,  as  the  town  was  called,  a speculative 
genius  had  established  a small  store,  having  removed 
from  the  Arkansas,  about  twenty  miles  off,  with  a cask 
of  whiskey,  and  for  whiskey  or  money  he  bought  all  the 


OUR  NOCTURNAL  ENCAMPMENT. 


275 


skins  he  could  find.  He  had  also  powder,  lead,  coffee, 
sugar,  and  lucifer  matches ; the  latter  article  are 
wretchedly  made  in  America.  I exchanged  all  my 
skins  for  powder,  lead,  and  coffee. 

From  hence,  somewhat  lightened,  we  proceeded  to 
Spring  Creek,  which  is  thickly  settled,  one  good  farm 
bordering  another,  till  we  passed  the  water-mill,  where 
they  ceased,  and  we  prepared  for  the  night,  which  looked 
threatening.  We  halted  by  an  overthrown  pine-tree, 
unloaded  the  horse,  and  gave  him  some  corn,  collected 
firewood,  and  made  a hut.  Pine  bark  lay  about  in 
heaps  ; though  worm-eaten  in  many  places,  it  answered 
for  want  of  better,  and,  used  in  double  and  treble  lay- 
ers, it  made  a very  respectable  sort  of  shed.  When  I 
thought  it  was  finished,  being  rather  tired,  I flung  my- 
self on  the  ground ; but  my  companion  was  not  so  eas- 
ily satisfied;  he  laid  on  one  piece  of  bark  after  an- 
other, and  spread  some  to  keep  our  limbs  from  the  damp 
earth,  and,  whether  I wished  it  or  not,  I must  up  and 
help  till  he  pronounced  “ That’ll  do.”  Our  simple  sup- 
per was  soon  over ; he  then  pulled  off  his  shabby  old 
coat,  folded  it  up  carefully,  and  laid  it  on  his  saddle  as 
an  extra  pillow,  spread  his  blanket  on  the  pine  bark  with 
the  edge  to  the  fire,  so  that  in  lying  on  it,  and  covering 
himself  with  the  other  half,  he  might  admit  the  warmth. 
After  adding  a few  more  logs  to  the  fire,  he  pulled  off 
his  shoes,  placing  them  near  him  with  the  soles  upwards, 
that  they  might  not  fill  with  water  in  case  of  rain ; he 
hung  his  socks  under  the  bark  roof,  to  keep  them  prop- 
erly warm  and  dry ; then  laying  himself  carefully  on 
his  blanket,  and  covering  himself  with  the  other  half,  he 
was  soon  asleep. 


276 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


I could  not  sleep,  but  lay  close  to  the  fire,  which  I 
kept  stirring  with  a stick,  making  it  crackle,  and  raising 
showers  of  sparks,  which  were  carried  by  the  wind  far 
away  into  the  dark  forest,  while  I gave  audience  to  my 
various  thoughts.  At  length  some  pattering  drops 
warned  me  that  it  was  time  to  seek  shelter  in  the  warm 
shed. 

The  rising  sun  found  us  again  on  the  march,  and 
nothing  remarkable  occurred  till  evening,  when  we 
passed  an  old  plum  orchard  of  the  Cherokees.  It  was 
an  unenclosed  space,  several  miles  in  circumference, 
thickly  covered  with  bushes  from  two  to  six  feet  high, 
bearing  small,  round,  very  sweet  plums,  which  ripen  in 
August.  Similar  plum  orchards  are  found  in  many 
places  near  the  Arkansas  and  Mississippi. 

We  struck  the  Arkansas  before  dark,  opposite  the 
little  town  of  Pittsburg,  and  crossed  over.  As  our 
purses  were  in  a weak  condition,  we  did  not  enter  the 
town,  but  lighted  a fire  on  the  river’s  bank,  made  a 
shed  of  some  planks  which  had  been  driven  on  shore, 
probably  from  a sunken  boat,  and  were  soon  well 
housed.  As  we  had  marched  quick,  and  kept  in  our 
dogs  for  fear  of  losing  them,  we  had  seen  no  game ; our 
provisions  were  rather  low,  and  henceforth  the  horse 
had  no  further  weight  to  carry  than  the  well-packed, 
goodly  person  of  my  companion,  who  now  and  then  got 
off  to  give  me  a lift.  We  husbanded  our  stores  so  well, 
that  we  had  something  for  supper  and  breakfast,  and  to 
feed  the  dogs,  and  laid  ourselves  comfortably  down  in 
our  blankets. 

Next  day  we  passed  along  a part  of  the  route  by 
which  some  years  ago  a numerous  body  of  eastern 


INDIAN  MIGRATION. 


277 


Indians,  having  given  up  their  lands  to  the  United 
States  on  condition  of  receiving  other  equally  good 
lands  in  the  West,  were  conducted  by  the  parties  who 
had  engaged  to  provide  for  them  on  their  journey. 
Numerous  square  holes  cut  in  the  fallen  trees  showed 
where  the  squaws  had  pounded  their  maize  to  make 
bread.  More  melancholy  traces  were  visible  in  the 
bones  of  human  beings  and  animals  which  were  strewed 
about.  Many  a warrior  and  squaw  died  on  the  road 
from  exhaustion,  and  the  maladies  engendered  by  their 
treatment;  and  their  relations  and  friends  could  do 
nothing  more  for  them  than  fold  them  in  their  blankets, 
and  cover  them  with  boughs  and  bushes,  to  keep  off 
the  vultures,  which  followed  their  route  by  thousands, 
and  soared  over  their  heads ; for  their  drivers  would 
not  give  them  time  to  dig  a grave  and  bury  their  dead. 
The  wolves,  which  also  followed  at  no  great  distance, 
soon  tore  away  so  frail  a covering,  and  scattered  the 
bones  in  all  directions.  This  is  a sad  instance  of  the 
abominable  haggling  spirit  so  prevalent  in  America. 
The  government,  to  avoid  trouble,  had  contracted  with 
individuals  for  a certain  sum,  which  was  quite  sufficient 
to  have  conveyed  the  poor  Indians  comfortably;  but 
they  were  obliged  to  part  with  all  they  had  for  bread, 
selling  their  rifles  and  tomahawks,  horses  going  for 
two  and  three  dollars ; and,  while  they  died  of  hunger 
and  distress,  the  contractors  made  a fortune. 

About  three  in  the  afternoon  we  reached  the  Ozark 
mountains,  and  passed  close  by  some  farm  buildings 
where  there  were  several  tame  white  turkeys.  My 
dog,  who  was  a capital  fellow  for  turkeys,  had  as  yet 
never  seen  any  but  wild,  consequently  black  ones.  He 
24 


278 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


gave  a side  glance  or  two  at  them,  and  then  passed  on 
without  further  notice,  until  one  crossed  the  road,  and 
he  came  on  the  fresh  trail,  which  he  followed  on  the 
instant ; but  when  he  got  close  to  the  white  bird,  he 
kept  first  looking  at  the  one,  and  then  smelling  at  the 
other,  as  much  as  to  say,  “ They  don’t  agree,”  while  the 
turkey  walked  off  with  long  strides,  turning  his  head 
from  side  to  side  to  examine  the  stranger  who  was  so 
close  at  his  heels,  and  whose  intentions  he  rather  seemed 
to  doubt.  I called  off  the  dog,  and  we  stepped  out  at 
a good  pace  up  a narrow  ravine  by  the  banks  of  a 
mountain  stream.  Narrow  as  the  ravine  was,  we  found 
houses  in  places  where  no  one,  at  least  no  reasonable 
being,  could  ever  have  supposed  they  would  have  been 
erected,  there  being  so  little  arable  land  near.  One 
place  particularly  amused  me  — a turnip  field,  about 
sixty  paces  square,  from  one  corner  of  which  I saw 
smoke  rising.  As  there  was  no  trace  of  a building  or 
of  a human  being  to  be  seen,  I was  anxious  to  discover 
where  the  smoke  came  from,  and  on  reaching  the  corner 
of  the  field,  I found  myself  looking  straight  down  a 
chimney.  The  house  was  built  in  a little  hollow  in  the 
rock,  probably  to  avoid  encroaching  on  any  part  of  the 
useful  ground.  But  what  could  induce  people  to  settle 
in  such  a hole,  when  so  much  good  land  was  to  be  had 
in  Arkansas,  was  more  than  I could  divine. 

We  now  turned  to  the  left,  and  crossed  the  first 
spur  towards  the  summit  of  the  hills  that  divide  the 
Mulberry  from  the  Arkansas.  The  ascent  was  rather 
steep,  but  we  surmounted  it  without  mishap,  and  were 
rewarded  with  a beautiful  view  over  the  country  we 
had  passed.  While  I was  seated  on  a high  piece  of 


A BOOTLESS  CHASE LOST  IN  THE  FOREST.  279 


rock,  contemplating  the  prospect,  Slowtrap  rolled  a 
large  stone  to  the  edge  of  the  declivity ; then  pushing 
it  over,  he  set  the  dogs  after  it  — these  hearing  the  noise, 
flew  in  wild  haste  down  the  steep.  The  stone  at  first 
moved  slowly,  but  as  it  gathered  way  in  its  descent,  it 
made  hounds  of  twenty  and  thirty  feet,  broke  off  young 
trees,  and  went  thundering  to  the  bottom  in  clouds  of 
dust,  the  dogs  still  in  chase.  I did  not  much  like  it, 
fearing  they  might  break  their  legs  or  necks.  Bears- 
grease  came  back  first,  crouching  and  wagging  his  tail, 
as  if  he  knew  that  he  had  committed  an  egregious 
folly.  The  others  returned  later,  puffing  and  snorting. 
S.  seemed  to  have  been  much  amused : he  sat  com- 
fortably on  a rock,  with  his  bridle  on  his  left  arm, 
and  looked  on  without  moving  a muscle  of  his  coun- 
tenance. 

We  had  a long  march  before  us.  It  was  ten  miles 
to  the  nearest  house,  and  we  had  nothing  eatable  left, 
either  for  ourselves  or  the  horse ; it  was  moreover 
getting  dark.  S.  said  we  must  keep  on  the  hill  for  six 
or  seven  miles,  and  then  turn  down  towards  the  Mul- 
berry to  the  house. 

It  grew  darker  and  darker.  A narrow  unfrequented 
footpath  covered  with  yellow  leaves  was  our  only  guide, 
which  I followed  up  with  undivided  attention,  Slow- 
trap riding  slowly  after  me.  A thin  penetrating  rain 
set  in  with  the  night ; yet,  indefatigabiy,  and  with  my 
nose  nearly  on  the  ground,  I kept  to  the  almost  in- 
visible path,  till  about  ten  o’clock,  when  I stopped,  and 
told  Slowtrap  that  either  the  path  ended  here,  or  I had 
missed  it ; which  of  the  two  was  the  case  I could  not 
say.  Slowtrap,  who  had  followed  patiently  without 


280 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


speaking  a word,  asked  if  I thought  I could  find  the  trail 
again  on  retracing  my  steps.  The  weather  was  not 
favorable  for  conversation  ; I shouldered  my  rifle, 
went  some  way  back,  made  a circle,  and  found  a strip 
of  darker  ground  amongst  the  leaves.  I called  out, 
and  my  companion  came,  leading  his  horse,  and  said 
that  I might  ride,  and  he  would  follow  up  the  path,  as 
his  eyes  were  more  accustomed  to  forest  work  than 
mine.  Tired  with  the  long  day’s  march,  I was  not 
sorry  for  this,  and  was  soon  in  the  saddle,  while  Slow- 
trap,  stooping  low,  preceded  me  about  two  hundred 
paces ; but  he  came  to  a stand  where  I had  stopped, 
and  said  the  path  ended  there.  We  could  not  be 
far  from  the  descent  to  the  Mulberry,  for  the  trees 
were  thinner,  and  Slowtrap  said  that  if  it  were  not  so 
dark,  we  might  be  able  to  see  the  whole  of  its  valley. 
At  present  nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  our  miserable 
plight. 

It  is  dangerous  to  lose  one’s  way  in  these  hills,  as 
precipices  occur  where  least  suspected.  The  rain  now 
fell  in  torrents,  and  we  were  as  wet  as  drowned  rats. 
At  length  we  decided  on  descending  the  hill  straight 
before  us,  lead  where  it  would.  It  was  steep  and 
slippery,  and  although  we  led  the  horse,  we  were  often 
in  danger  of  falling  into  one  of  the  steep  ravines ; we 
passed  so  near  one  that  we  heard  the  stones  fall  to  the 
bottom  as  they  were  kicked  away  by  the  horse’s  feet. 

It  may  have  been  about  eleven  o’clock  when  the  dogs 
gave  the  first  signs  of  life,  by  a growl  and  a low  bark. 
Then  the  oldest  of  them,  a good  old  fellow,  covered  with 
honorable  scars,  gave  a short  howl.  It  was  answered 
by  several  dogs  in  the  distance ; this  inspired  us  with 


MR.  D AVIS’S  FARM. 


281 


fresh  courage,  and  we  hastened  down  the  hill  towards 
the  sound.  When  the  strange  dogs  left  off  barking,  we 
easily  excited  them  again  by  imitating  the  howl  of  a 
wolf.  We  gained  at  once  the  foot  of  the  hill  and  a 
mountain  stream,  and  came  to  a small  house,  from 
whence  we  had  heard  the  bark  of  the  dogs.  We  entered 
and  obtained  shelter,  but  no  hearty  welcome. 

Next  morning,  as  we  were  not  very  well  pleased  with 
our  host,  who  did  not  care  about  us,  and  fearing  that 
the  rivers  we  had  to  cross  might  swell  with  rain  — an 
event  which  soon  occurs  in  the  mountains  — we  left  at 
daylight,  and  proceeded  to  a farmer’s,  named  Davis, 
about  half  a mile  off  on  the  other  side  of  the  river ; here 
we  were  received  kindly  and  hospitably. 

Mr.  Davis  would  by  no  means  allow  us  to  proceed, 
as  it  had  poured  with  rain  the  whole  night,  and  all  the 
brooks  were  rushing  torrents  ; so,  taking  charge  of  our 
things,  he  made  us  sit  by  the  fire,  and  seemed  highly 
gratified  at  the  pleasure  its  warmth  afforded  us.  His 
family  were  very  agreeable,  and  I was  quite  sorry  to 
part  with  them  so  soon  as  the  next  morning ; but  by 
that  time  the  waters  fell,  and  Slowtrap  was  in  a hurry 
to  get  on.  However,  it  was  hard  work  to  get  through 
some  of  the  rivers,  especially  as  we  had  but  one  horse. 
Luckily  my  companion  knew  the  country  too  well  to 
expose  us  to  the  chance  of  sleeping  again  in  the  forest, 
and  this  evening,  wet,  tired,  and  half  frozen,  we  arrived 
at  the  abode  of  an  old  squatter. 

This  day  we  had  crossed  the  main  range  of  tho 
“ Boston  divide,”  which  parts  the  waters  of  the  Mul- 
berry from  the  White  river,  and  found  ourselves  on 
the  latter,  which,  here,  we  could  leap  across,  though 
24  * 


282 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  EAR  WEST. 


further  down  it  is  navigated  by  steamers.  The  country 
and  vegetation  differed  considerably  from  that  south  of 
the  Arkansas.  There  was  no  trace  of  fir ; the  moun- 
tains were  covered  with  oak,  beech,  and  hickory,  all  at 
this  season  without  leaves,  which,  to  an  eye  accustomed 
to  green  hollows,  seemed  rather  mournful  and  mono- 
tonous. It  struck  me  as  extraordinary  that  the  best 
and  most  fertile  land  was  on  the  hill  tops,  where,  in 
other  places  it  is  generally  the  worst ; here  grew  black 
walnut,  wild  cherry,  with  stems  sometimes  twenty 
inches  in  diameter,  black  locust,  and  sugar  maple,  trees 
which  generally  grow  only  in  the  richest  soils.  The 
black  locust  was  very  frequent,  and  its  long  sharp  thorns 
are  by  no  means  pleasant  on  a journey. 

About  noon  we  passed  a log  house,  at  the  door  of 
which  stood  a fat  red-haired  man.  When  we  had 
passed,  Slowtrap  told  me  that,  four  years  ago,  that  man 
had  bought  a clock ; and  after  he  had  had  it  two  days, 
he  doubted  whether  all  was  right  inside ; so  he  took  it 
to  pieces,  and  when  satisfied,  put  it  together  again,  and 
people  said  that  when  he  had  done  so,  he  had  wheels 
enough  left  for  another  clock. 

It  was  Christmas  eve,  and  growing  dark.  My  heart 
sunk  as  I remembered  former  joys  of  this  season,  and 
thought  of  my  present  loneliness.  Strange  ! that  rec- 
ollections should  be  so  sweet  and  yet  so  bitter. 

In  good  time  we  arrived  at  old  Con  well’s,  Slowtrap’ s 
father-in-law.  He  lived  in  a block-house,  surrounded 
by  mountains  covered  with  trees,  close  to  the  bank  of 
the  White  river,  which  was  narrow  enough  to  be 
bridged  by  a tree.  The  family  were  assembled  round 
the  fire ; Conwell  himself  was  absent.  A matron  of 


CONWELL  AND  HIS  FAMILY. 


283 


pleasing  appearance  rose  from  her  seat  on  the  entrance 
of  her  son-in-law,  and  cordially  shook  his  hand,  while 
two  fine  boys  of  eleven  and  eight  jumped  up  to  welcome 
him ; another  person  in  the  room,  a young  graceful 
girl,  who  at  first  kept  modestly  in  the  background, 
then  came  forward  to  greet  her  brother-in-law,  who 
addressed' her  as  Sophy;  neither  was  the  stranger  over- 
looked, but  received  a hearty  welcome  from  all.  I, 
who,  a few  minutes  before,  had  felt  so  deserted  and 
miserable,  now  experienced  a silent  joy,  as  I looked  on 
the  amiable,  honorable  countenance  of  the  mother,  the 
mild  expression  of  the  daughter,  and  the  open,  happy 
faces  of  the  two  boys.  It  was  as  if  I had  found  new 
relations,  and  was  once  again  at  home.  Never  in  my 
life  had  I felt,  from  the  first  moment,  so  completely 
domesticated  as  with  these  people. 

In  about  half  an  hour  old  Conwell  came  in : if  ever 
uprightness  was  stamped  upon  any  countenance,  it 
was  upon  his  ; his  hair  was  white  as  snow,  but  his  step 
was  as  springy  as  he  moved  about  in  his  hunting- 
shirt,  leggins,  moccasins,  and  bare  neck,  as  if  he  had 
seen  but  twenty  years.  After  we  had  been  seated 
about  an  hour,  it  seemed  as  if  I had  known  him  from 
childhood,  and  the  evening  flew  past  with  incredible 
swiftness. 

The  cold  was  very  sharp  on  Christmas-day,  and  we 
were  delighting  in  a glorious  fire,  when  John,  the 
youngest  boy,  ran  in,  and  said  there  was  a large  gang 
of  turkeys  in  the  corn.  I seized  my  rifle,  called  Bears- 
grease,  and  was  soon  in  the  field.  No  sooner'  had  the 
dog  found  the  scent,  than  he  was  amongst  them,  and 
they  flew  to  the  neighboring  trees.  I knocked  over 


284 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


one,  loaded,  and  tried  for  another,  leaving  Bearsgrease 
to  watch  the  prize,  as  several  pigs  were  near  us.  Not 
being  able  to  get  another  shot,  I returned  to  the  dog, 
and  found  him  with  his  paws  full  of  business.  Another 
larger  dog  had  come  to  have  a smell  at  the  turkey ; 
Bearsgrease,  mistaking  his  intentions  and  my  instruc- 
tions, attacked  the  stranger,  threw  him  over,  and  held 
him  fast,  with  the  fiercest  countenance  in  the  world; 
but  when  he  saw  me  coming  he  began  to  wag  his  tail, 
being  thus,  like  Janus,  severe  in  front  and  amicable 
behind.  I released  the  stranger  from  his  disagreeable 
position,  and  patted  and  soothed  Bearsgrease  to  express 
my  approbation  and  satisfaction  at  his  good  behavior ; 
but  he  continued  to  give  an  occasional  growl  and  scowl 
at  the  other  dog. 

I amused  myself  for  a couple  of  days  with  turkey 
shooting,  leaving  Slowtrap  time  to  arrange  his  affairs, 
when  he  informed  me  that  he  had  concluded  his  business 
quicker  than  he  had  expected,  and  now  meant  to  return 
home.  This  was  disagreeable  to  me  for  two  reasons  — 
first,  because  he  was  a very  pleasant  companion ; and, 
secondly,  because  he  was  so  ‘well  acquainted  with  the 
mountains.  However,  there  was  no  persuading  him 
to  remain,  and  he  fixed  on  the  following  morning  for 
his  departure. 

In  the  afternoon,  as  the  sun  was  bright  and  warm, 
we  formed  a merry  party  in  front  of  the  house ; but 
S.  who  never  could  bear  lying  or  sitting  on  the  cold 
ground,  sat  himself  on  the  fence,  which  was  about  five 
feet  high,  and  told  us  some  of  his  humorous  stories 
with  his  usual  gravity.  Meantime  several  cows  had 
assembled  on  the  other  side  of  the  fence.  It  has 


SLOWTRAP’S  ADVENTURE  WITH  THE  COW.  285 


already  been  said  that  S.  wore  a shabby  old  coat, 
whereof  the  tails  hung  low  outside  the  fence.  In 
the  morning  he  had  been  walking  about  the  hills, 
and  had  been  very  hot ; and  his  pocket-handkerchief, 
moist  with  perspiration,  was  in  one  of  his  pockets.  It  is 
well  known  that  cows  are  fond  of  salt  and  saline  sub- 
stances, and  they  had  probably  divined  that  something 
of  the  sort  was  in  one  of  those  pockets.  One,  rather 
bolder  than  the  rest,  had  quietly  approached,  taken 
the  flap  in  her  mouth,  and  was  contentedly  chewing 
it.  I had  observed  the  whole  proceeding  with  great 
amusement ; but  fearing  that  his  coat  was  in  danger  of 
being  reduced  to  a state  of  pulp,  I called  out  to  him 
to  look  behind.  He  looked  round,  beheld  the  cow 
chewing  his  coat-tails  with  the  greatest  placidity,  and 
raised  one  of  his  long  arms  to  drive  her  away.  The 
cow,  frightened  at  the  long  arm,  made  a retreat ; but 
unluckily  one  of  the  buttons  caught  between  her  teeth, 
and  she  gave  a sudden  wrench  to  poor  Slowtrap,  who 
was  nicely  balanced  at  the  top  of  the  fence;  in  a 
moment  his  legs  rose  in  the  air,  like  the  two  chimneys 
of  a steamer,  and  then  his  body  tumbled  to  the 
ground.  What  happened  afterwards,  no  one  could 
tell,  as  we  all  followed  his  example,  in  a convulsion 
of  laughter. 

On  the  28th  December  my  old  companion  mounted 
his  steed,  and  shaking  hands  with  his  relations  and 
me,  was  soon  out  of  sight  in  the  forest.  I prepared 
for  the  mouutains,  and  Conwell  said  he  would  willingly 
go  with  me,  but  that  he  had  business  for  some  days ; 
I answered,  that  I would  go  first,  not  to  be  a burden  to 
him,  at  which  he  was  much  vexed,  and  requested  me 


286 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


not  to  go  without  him,  concluding  his  kind  invitation 
to  remain  in  his  house,  by  saying  that  I was  u as  wel- 
come as  the  flowers  in  May.”  I could  not  withstand 
this,  and  remained  with  much  pleasure.  He  rode 
away  the  same  day,  and  returned  on  the  following 
evening.  In  the  afternoon  it  came  on  to  snow,  and 
continued  till  late  at  night,  so  that  we  expected  glo- 
rious weather  for  shooting;  hut  our  joy  did  not  last 
long,  for  it  soon  became  warm  again.  Nevertheless 
we  got  every  thing  in  readiness,  mended  moccasins, 
cast  balls,  sharpened  knives,  and,  on  the  30th,  we  pro- 
ceeded to  the  Pilot  rock,  at  the  source  of  the  Hur- 
ricane. After  crossing  the  Boston  divide,  we  stopped 
on  the  slope,  where  we  found  a spring  of  delicious 
water,  and  “ struck  camp.”  The  night  was  clear  and 
cold,  but  the  heat  of  the  day  had  spoiled  all  the  beau- 
tiful snow.  Stretched  before  the  fire,  we  rested  our 
weary  limbs  after  the  exertions  of  the  day,  and  were 
soon  sound  asleep,  with  our  dogs  beside  us. 

As  we  were  not  yet  on  our  intended  ground,  we  rose 
early,  descended  the  mountain,  crossed  the  Hurricane, 
and  fixed  upon  a spot  for  our  night’s  camp,  where  we 
left  Conwell’s  horse,  with  our  blankets,  and  provisions. 
Here  we  separated  to  mount  the  hill  on  different 
routes.  The  Hurricane  is  a mountain  stream,  taking 
its  name  from  a hurricane  which  raged  near  its  mouth 
some  time  ago,  leaving  traces  that  are  still  visible. 
It  runs  into  the  Mulberry,  and  flows  with  it  into  the 
Arkansas. 

Conwell  went  to  the  left,  I to  the  right;  the  hill 
was  in  places  so  steep,  that  I was  obliged  to  lift  the 
dog  up  before  me.  At  length  I gained  a flat  terrace. 


TERRACE-HILLS A PRIZE. 


287 


The  terrace  formation  is  characteristic  of  these  moun- 
tains ; seen  from  below  they  do  not  appear  very  high, 
because  only  the  top  of  the  next  division  is  visible ; 
but  when  one  is  surmounted,  another  and  another 
arises,  and  people  maintain  that  when  you  come  to  the 
highest  there  is  always  one  more. 

The  terrace  on  which  I found  myself  was  about  one 
hundred  and  eighty  paces  wide.  Advancing  cautiously 
towards  the  middle,  keeping  a sharp  look-out,  I per- 
ceived a doe  quietly  grazing,  and  coming  towards  me. 
I whistled,  she  stopped,  bounded  upwards  with  the 
shot,  ran  about  fifty  paces  towards  me,  and  fell  dead. 
She  was  in  excellent  condition  — I hung  her  up,  and 
went  on.  At  the  end  of  the  terrace,  where  a spring 
dashed  down  the  rock,  I observed  signs  of  a bear ; he 
had  turned  over  several  stones  to  find  worms,  and  had 
bitten  off  some  of  the  bushes  to  make  a bed ; seeing 
nothing  more,  I returned  to  the  camp,  to  have  the  help 
of  my  companion  to  follow  up  the  trail  next  day, 
taking  half*  the  doe  on  my  shoulders  as  I went  along. 
I found  Conwell  occupied  with  a very  fat  turkey. 

Tired  with  all  the  climbing,  we  wrapped  ourselves 
in  our  blankets,  and  threw  ourselves  down  for  a 
nap ; but  the  sun  setting,  and  wind  getting  colder  and 
sharper,  did  not  allow  us  much  repose,  but  warned  us 
to  make  a fire,  and  a good  fire  too,  for  the  night. 
Wood  was  abundant,  and  we  had  only  to  move  a few 
steps  for  as  much  as  we  wanted.  The  sun  had  hardly 
disappeared  behind  the  trees  on  the  western  mountains, 
when  it  became  dark  in  our  ravine ; the  twilight  did 
not  last  more  than  ten  minutes.  It  was  the  last 
day  of  the  year.  In  my  native  land,  many  a happy 


288 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


pair  were  forgetting  past  pains  and  sorrows  in  the 
tumult  of  the  dance  in  lighted  halls ; while  I was 
stretched  under  the  starry  skies  beside  a crackling  fire 
in  the  forest,  my  trusty  rifle  and  faithful  dog  by  my 
side.  I had  no  mind  for  dancing  or  music ; for  seven 
months  I had  not  heard  from  home,  and  seemed  to 
have  got  wedged  in  among  the  mountains,  with  the 
world  closed  behind  me,  all  retreat  cut  off,  and  nothing 
left  but  to  advance : and  yet  the  future  offered  no  in- 
viting picture ; alone,  in  the  endless  wilderness,  I stood, 
with  hair  turning  gray  — a solitary  hunter,  leaning  on 
my  rifle,  separated  from  all  I loved. 

Old  Hawkeye,  must  have  had  many  a sorrowful 
hour. 

Meantime,  my  companion,  leaning  on  his  elbow,  was 
gazing  on  the  fire,  and  lost  in  recollections  of  the  past ; 
but  his  past  must  have  been  a happy  one,  for  he  often 
smiled  to  himself.  He  had  lived  an  active  life,  and 
looked  forward  to  a happy  old  age,  in  the  circle  of  an 
amiable  family,  in  the  vicinity  of  his  married  children, 
in  the  enjoyment  of  health  and  strength.  Wherefore 
should  he  be  unhappy  ? 

I stood  up  to  change  the  current  of  my  thoughts, 
poked  at  the  fire,  laid  the  logs  together,  which  were 
burnt  through  the  middle,  and  reposed  again  on  my 
blanket.  Conwell  told  me  he  was  sixty-two  years  old 
to-day,  31st  of  December,  1841 ; and  yet  he  was  so 
strong  and  active  that  I had  to  exert  myself  to  keep  up 
with  him.  He  spoke  of  his  past  life ; how  he  had  con- 
tinually preceded  civilization,  first  in  Carolina,  then  in 
Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Missouri,  and  now  in  the  Ozark 
mountains,  and  he  complained  that  people  were  gather- 


A SUMPTUOUS  BREAKFAST. 


289 


ing  too  thick  about  him,  and  said  he  felt  a strong 
inclination  to  make  another  move.  He  mentioned  how 
fortunate  and  happy  he  was  in  his  family.  He  spoke 
of  his  children,  and  as  I listened  to  him  my  troubled 
thoughts  were  soothed ; it  was  as  if  one  of  my  own 
family  was  speaking.  Thus  passed  our  evening  till 
sleep  weighed  down  our  eyelids,  and  wrapped  in  our 
blankets  past  and  future  were  forgotten. 

Next  morning,  as  the  tips  of  the  western  mountains 
were  lighted  up  with  the  first  rays  of  the  rising  sun, 
we  woke  from  our  lairs,  shook  off  the  wreaths  of  frost, 
and  joyfully  inhaled  the  fresh  morning  air;  it  was 
bitter  cold,  the  water  in  our  tin  cups  was  all  frozen,  as 
was  the  meat,  but  a breakfast  fit  for  a prince  was  soon 
smoking  before  us  — juicy  venison,  fat  turkey,  good 
strong  coffee,  and  maize  bread.  Where  was  the  hotel 
that  could  afford  fare  as  good  ? but  man  is  fated  never 
to  be  satisfied  — my  companion  sighed  for  bear. 

Before  breakfast  was  quite  ready  I went  to  the 
creek  which  flowed  at  a few  paces  from  our  camp,  to 
have  a good  wash,  and  finding  a hole  with  deep  water 
as  clear  as  crystal,  I threw  off  my  clothes,  and  plunged 
under  the  cool  element.  It  was  a delicious  treat,  and 
I did  not  feel  the  cold  till  I got  out ; but  I was  soon 
by  the  fire,  and  by  the  time  I had  my  clothes  on  I felt 
such  an  animating  glow,  and  such  strength  that  I could 
almost  have  torn  an  oak  up  by  the  roots.  Old  C. 
looked  on  smiling,  but  thought  it  too  cold  to  plunge  in, 
and  contented  himself  with  washing  face,  breast,  hands, 
and  feet.  Thus  refreshed,  we  sat  down  to  breakfast ; 
turkey,  venison,  coffee,  and  bread  disappeared  with 
terrific  rapidity;  even  Bearsgrease  appeared  surprised 
25 


290  WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 

sitting  with  his  mouth  wide  open,  though  Conwell 
maintained  that  he  held  it  open  more  conveniently  to 
catch  the  morsels  I threw  to  him  from  time  to  time ; 
perhaps  he  was  right. 

After  these  trifles,  half  a turkey,  and  the  greater 
part  of  a haunch  of  venison  had  been  safely  disposed  of 
to  the  general  satisfaction,  we  set  off  to  look  for  the  hear, 
tokens  of  whose  whereabout  I had  seen  the  day  before. 
On  arriving  at  the  place,  the  dogs  showed  signs  of  ex- 
citement, and  running  down  the  steep  they  soon  began 
j)  give  tongue.  We  followed  as  fast  as  we  could,  and 
came  to  a large  detached  rock,  behind  which  a cave 
ran  into  the  mountain.  Several  marks  showed  that 
the  bear  was  at  home ; the  dogs  barked  furiously,  and 
I laid  aside  my  rifle  and  pouch,  and  was  about  to  enter 
the  cave  with  my  drawn  knife,  when  Bruin  began  to 
suspect  mischief.  He  was  right  opposite  the  entrance, 
but  a slight  bend  in  the  cave,  which  was  only  eight 
feet  deep,  prevented  our  seeing  him.  He  would  not 
have  cared  much  for  the  dogs,  but  as  I approached  the 
wind  was  behind  me ; the  moment  he  discovered  me 
he  began  snorting  and  growling,  and  made  a rush 
which  nearly  upset  me,  although  I sprang  on  one  side. 
Conwell,  who  had  seen  many  such  affairs,  coolly  stood 
at  the  entrance  with  his  rifle  cocked,  watching  my  pro- 
ceedings. The  report  of  the  rifle  was  heard  before  I 
and  the  dogs  had  recovered  our  composure  after  the 
rush ; the  bear  seemed  to  be  determined  that  nothing 
should  stop  him,  and  disappeared  in  a gorge ; but  the 
dogs,  roused  by  the  shot  were  soon  on  his  traces.  The 
old  man  laughed  heartily  as  he  saw  me  standing  knife 
in  hand  quite  disconcerted  at  the  mouth  of  the  cave, 


A TWO  YEAR  OLD  BRUIN. 


291 


and  regretted  that  he  had  not  been  able  to  give  all  his 
attention  to  my  admirable  jump,  as  he  was  obliged  to 
look  after  the  beast. 

We  followed  the  dogs,  and  on  examining  a rock  which 
the  bear  had  crossed,  we  found  drops  of  dark  blood,  and 
were  tolerably  sure  of  him.  Weakened  with  loss  of 
blood,  he  had  not  run  far  before  the  dogs  came  up  with 
him.  As  they  were  both  young  and  untrained  to  bears, 
he  had  not  much  trouble  in  keeping  them  off,  but  they 
answered  our  purpose  in  stopping  him.  I came  up 
just  as  he  had  shaken  off  the  dogs,  and  was  climbing  a 
steep  blutf.  I fired  and  struck  his  right  paw,  and  as 
he  fell  the  dogs  seized  him  again  ; my  companion  now 
arrived,  and  coolly  taking  aim,  sent  a ball  through  his 
heart.  He  was  a fat  two-year-old,  and  promised  a 
delicate  repast ; we  decided  on  taking  him  home.  So 
while  C.  skinned  and  cut  him  up,  I returned  to  the 
camp  to  fetch  the  horse  with  our  blankets  and  game, 
and  as  I rode  past  I brought  away  the  other  half  of  the 
doe,  which  was  too  good  to  leave  behind.  As  the  day 
was  now  far  advanced,  and  the  horse  had  about  200  lbs. 
to  carry,  we  resolved  to  camp  for  the  night  near  the 
first  spring  we  came  to. 

As  we  crossed  a flat  on  the  top  of  a mountain  we 
heard  a horrible  noise  from  a large  gang  of  turkeys,  a 
sure  sign  of  bad  weather.  Con  well  sprang  from  his 
horse,  and  we  ran  towards  the  sound.  When  near 
enough  I cheered  on  the  dog,  and  in  an  instant  the 
whole  forest  was  alive  with  turkeys.  A great  big 
fellow  flapped  into  a tree  about  sixty  yards  in  front  of 
me,  and  fell  to  the  ground  with  a ball  from  my  rifle. 
While  loading,  I observed  Conwell  going  about  with 


292 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


his  rifle  at  his  cheek,  carefully  watching  all  the  long 
necks ; then  he  stopped,  took  aim,  and  fired.  But  the 
turkey  only  reeled  on  the  bough,  and  recovered  him- 
self. As  soon  as  I was  loaded  I knocked  over  a second, 
and  by  this  time  the  greater  part  of  the  gang  had  made 
off ; but  the  one  Conwell  had  hit  sat  still,  badly 
wounded,  with  the  blood  dropping  fast.  Conwell  had 
now  loaded  again,  and  shot  him  through  the  head.  On 
my  asking  why  he  had  not  selected  another,  as  he  was 
sure  of  this  one,  he  answered,  that  this  was  the  fattest 
and  heaviest  of  the  whole  gang ; and  he  was  right. 
Mine  were  both  large  birds,  but  his  weighed  more  by 
three  pounds.  He  laughed,  and  said  he  had  not  looked 
out  for  the  best  in  vain,  and  told  me,  “ when  the 
turkeys  are  all  sitting  on  the  trees,  frightened  at  the 
dogs,  there  is  no  occasion  to  be  in  a hurry  to  shoot  the 
first  that  comes  — a good  sportsman  should  choose  the 
best,  which  is  easily  done ; a short  thick  neck  is  the 
infallible  sign.  The  leaner  the  turkey,  the  longer  and 
thinner  his  neck.  The  bird  seems  larger,  but  take  care 
to  shoot  the  thick-necks,  and  I ’ll  wager  that  they  ain’t  so 
bad  to  eat.”  Long  experience  has  since  taught  me  that 
he  was  right,  but  it  required  some  time  before  I was 
cool  enough  to  look  at  the  turkeys  on  their  perch,  and 
make  a choice  amongst  them.  We  opened  them  on  the 
spot ; for  it  is  extraordinary  how  soon  they  spoil,  even 
in  cold  weather,  if  this  is  not  done.  We  threw  two  of 
them  over  the  horse,  while  I shouldered  the  third  ; and 
in  a very  short  time  we  came  to  a spring  of  good  water, 
and  made  a camp  for  the  night. 

One  of  the  results  of  our  camping  out,  with  supper 
and  breakfast,  was  the  disappearance  of  one  of  the 


A COMFORTABLE  EVENING. 


293 


turkeys  and  half  the  bear’s  ribs.  With  strength  well 
recruited  we  set  off  for  the  dwelling  of  my  old  friend, 
and  reached  it  about  two  in  the  afternoon.  It  was 
dark  by  the  time  when  the  skins  were  stretched  and  the 
meat  salted,  when  we  sat  round  the  fire  and  talked  over 
old  times. 

We  were  tired  and  went  betimes  to  bed,  intending 
to  sally  forth  early  next  mornng ; but  the  rain  poured 
down  the  whole  night,  and  we  had  forgotten  to  take 
our  blankets  in  from  the  fence,  so  that,  it  may  be  sup- 
posed, they  were  rather  damp ; however,  we  were  not 
vexed.  We  had  plenty  of  provisions;  a little  repose 
would  not  hurt  us,  especially  as  we  were  looking  forward 
to  fresh  adventures. 

We  made  ourselves  comfortable,  provided  wood,  and 
had  placed  ourselves  in  a half  circle  round  the  fire, 
when  little  John  ran  in  and  told  us  that  he  was  just 
come  from  a neighbor’s,  who  had  sent  out  his  negro 
to  count  the  little  pigs,  which  a sow  was  bringing  with 
her  out  of  the  forest.  After  a little  while  he  came  in, 
and  said  gravely,  that  he  had  counted  nineteen,  but 
that  one  had  run  about  so,  that  he  could  not  count  him. 
Conwell  now  commenced  a story  of  his  early  days,  in 
the  following  words : — “ About  forty  years  ago  my 
parents  moved  into  the  Cumberland  mountains  ; and  as 
the  land  was  good  and  fertile,  and  game  plentiful,  a 
little  settlement  was  soon  made.  We  were  very  com- 
fortable, grew  as  much  Indian  corn  as  we  wanted, 
had  plenty  of  venison,  bear,  and  wild  honey,  and  we 
could  always  procure  powder,  coffee,  and  whatever  else 
we  wanted  in  exchange  for  our  bears’  fat,  skins,  &c. ; so 
that  every  one  would  have  allowed  that  we  could  not 
25  * 


294 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


be  better  off,  but  for  one  circumstance  that  embittered 
our  existence  and  exposed  us  to  numberless  dangers. 
There  was  a tribe  of  Tuskarora  Indians  in  our  vicinity, 
who  had  been  driven  out  of  the  north,  probably  by  the 
French,  and  who  plundered  and  murdered  whenever 
they  found  an  opportunity.  Amongst  other  things, 
they  had  stolen  a number  of  horses,  and  that  so  cun- 
ningly, that  for  a long  time  they  eluded  all  our  efforts 
to  trace  them.  The  mountains  ended  in  a bluff  several 
miles  long,  and  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  high,  so  steep 
that  no  bear,  let  alone  a horse,  could  have  descended  it. 
As  soon  as  a horse  was  missed,  those  who  went  to  seek 
him  examined  each  end  of  the  cliff,  without  ever  finding 
any  traces  of  the  animal.  I was  then  about  twenty- 
two  years  old,  and  one  day  I was  out  with  my  dog,  — 
and  such  a dog  I have  never  seen  since.  Old  Beef 
here  is  a good  fellow,  but  that  one  had  a cross  of  a bull 
in  him ; well,  we  came  on  the  trail  of  a fat  bear  — for 
fat  he  was  — of  that  I had  infallible  signs  ; in  the  first 
place,  because  he  had  crossed  a sandy  bed  of  a small 
stream  where  his  footsteps  were  deeply  impressed, 
showing  the  balls  round  and  full ; secondly,  I found 
that  he  had  not  eaten  the  acorns  with  their  cups,  but 
had  taken  the  trouble  to  separate  them.  I fancied  he 
could  not  be  far  off,  and  followed  up  the  trail,  which 
led  towards  the  bluff ; at  about  two  hundred  yards  from 
it,  he  had  entered  the  stony  bed  of  a brook.  I kept 
close  up  with  the  dog,  making  as  little  noise  as  possible, 
and  only  taking  my  eye  off  the  trail  when  a turn  or 
higher  ground  gave  me  a chance  of  seeing  the  beast. 
As  I proceeded  I was  astonished  to  find  traces  of  horses 
leading  towards  the  bluff.  Two  capital  horses  had  been 


INDIAN  STRATAGEM. 


295 


stolen  from  us  a few  nights  before,  and  we  had  looked 
everywhere  for  traces  of  them,  without  success ; of 
course,  no  one  thought  of  looking  on  the  edge  of  the 
cliff. 

“My  previous  astonishment  was  nothing  to  what  I 
experienced,  when  I came  to  the  place,  where,  after 
heavy  rain,  the  brook  falls  over  the  cliff,  but  which  in 
dry  weather  does  not  contain  a drop  of  water,  and 
found,  where  the  depth  might  be  about  twenty  feet,  two 
fir-trees,  rounded,  and  placed  standing  against  the  rock, 
just  so  far  apart  that  a horse  might  slide  down  them,  but 
could  not  fall  through ; that  this  was  the  use  they  had 
been  put  to  was  evident  from  the  marks  of  the  struggles 
of  the  horses,  before  they  were  launched,  and  from 
patches  of  horsehair  sticking  to  the  poles.  That  the 
bear  had  descended  by  these  means  was  clear  from  the 
marks  of  his  claws  in  the  wood. 

“ It  would  not  have  done  for  the  dog ; — besides  the 
discovery  was  too  important  for  delay,  and  I hastened 
home  to  give  information.  We  had  not  long  to  wait 
to  turn  it  to  account.  The  Indians,  who  had  stolen  a 
couple  of  horses  a few  nights  before,  returned  for  some 
more  the  same  evening.  Luckily,  our  watchmen  gave 
the  alarm  in  time,  and  they  had  hardly  made  off  with 
their  boot}^  when  we  started  by  a nearer  road,  as  they 
were  obliged  to  choose  the  most  stony  paths,  in  order 
to  leave  as  few  traces  as  possible,  and  thus  made  a long 
circuit. 

“ About  nine  in  the  morning  we  arrived  opposite  the 
fir-trees,  and  hid  ourselves  in  the  trees  and  behind 
rocks  to  await  the  redskins.  About  noon  we  began  to 
think  that  they  must  have  discovered  our  trail,  and 


296 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


would  not  appear ; but  we  resolved  to  wait  till  dark. 
We  were  fifteen  in  all,  and  decided  not  to  fire  till  every 
man  was  sure  of  his  mark;  and,  with  beating  hearts, 
we  listened  for  the  slightest  sounds.  We  had  almost 
given  up  the  hopes  of  seeing  them,  when  a single 
warrior  appeared,  in  his  blanket  dress,  and  descended 
the  cliff.  He  was  sent  to  reconnoitre,  and  had  not  the 
slightest  suspicion  of  danger ; for  he  passed  close  before 
my  uncle  Ben,  who,  not  able  to  resist  the  temptation, 
or  fancying  that  he  was  discovered,  I know  not  which, 
contrary  to  his  usual  caution,  fired.  The  savage 
leaped  high  in  the  air,  and  fell  on  his  face  without  a 
groan. 

“Now,  whether  the  Indians  thought  that  their  spy 
had  shot  something,  or  whether  they  thought  them- 
selves strong  enough  to  disregard  a single  man,  whom 
chance  might  have  brought  to  the  spot,  in  less  than  five 
minutes  the  whole  troop  were  on  the  edge  of  the  bluff, 
about  eighty  paces  from  our  hiding-place.  They  had 
with  them  only  the  four  horses  which  they  had  lately 
stolen,  and  as  we  well  knew  that  it  would  be  vain  to 
seek  them  if  once  their  suspicions  were  roused,  we  took 
aim  in  silence.  The  party  consisted  of  nine  men,  four  of 
them  on  horseback ; we  might  easily  have  killed  them 
all,  but  were  too  eager  to  recover  the  horses?  so  it  hap- 
pened that  all  aimed  at  the  riders.  I had  not  been  in 
quite  such  ,a  hurry,  and  when  the  others  turned  to  fly 
I aimed  at  one  just  as  he  was  entering  the  thicket ; he 
gave  a spring  and  threw  off*  his  blanket;  I saw  the 
blood  spurt  out,  but  he  was  soon  out  of  sight,  and  as 
I could  not  find  his  body,  I think  he  must  have 
escaped. 


SIMPLICITY  OF  THE  BACKWOODSMEN.  297 


“We  took  the  arms  and  dresses  of  the  slain,  bound 
them  on  the  horses,  left  the  corpses  to  the  wolves  and 
vultures,  and  entered  the  settlement  in  triumph  the 
same  evening.  It  was  long  before  we  saw  any  thing 
more  of  the  Tuskaroras,  who  withdrew  in  alarm  towards 
Lake  Ontario.” 

By  this  time  dinner  was  ready,  and  after  dinner  we 
took  a siesta;  then,  what  with  reading  and  conversa- 
tion, it  was  evening  before  we  were  aware.  I was  now 
asked  to  give  information  about  the  old  world,  and  to 
tell  them  whether  kings  would  take  off  people’s  heads 
when  they  chose  — and  how  houses  were  built  when 
there  was  so  little  wood  — and  what  people  did  in  the 
winter.  They  were  much  astonished  when  I mentioned 
that  we  did  not  grow  Indian  corn,  nor  let  the  cattle  run 
wild ; but  when  I said  that  we  sometimes  planted  trees, 
the  children  shook  their  heads,  and  even  the  old  ones 
thought  that  I was  practising  on  their  credulity ; they 
also  wanted  to  know  if  kings  and  queens  always  wore 
their  crowns,  and  if  they  walked  about  with  their  scep- 
tres, and  what  the  nobility  looked  like. 

Next  morning,  starting  with  the  rising  sun,  we  took 
a direction  towards  the  Richland  and  War-eagle,  two 
streams  which  flow  into  the  White  river.  We  took 
no  provisions  with  us,  but  rode  out  with  only  the 
blankets  on  the  horses,  as  Conwell  supposed  we  should 
find  plenty  of  game.  On  arriving  on  our  ground,  we 
turned  the  horses  loose,  who  bent  their  steps  home- 
wards, grazing  as  they  went.  We  took  different 
courses,  agreeing  to  return  in  the  evening  to  the  place 
where  our  blankets  were  hanging  up.  I walked  cau- 
tiously and  slowly,  but  saw  nothing  of  either  deer  or 


298 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


turkey ; once  I heard  the  report  of  C.’s  rifle.  When  I 
returned  to  the  camp  I made  a good  fire,  spread  my 
blanket,  placed  my  rifle  in  readiness,  and  laid  me  down 
to  rest.  About  sunset  I heard  a light  step ; at  first  I 
thought  it  was  a deer  - — it  was  Con  well,  without  game 
or  dog.  He  sat  down  by  my  side  on  the  blanket,  and 
observing  that  he  supposed  I must  be  very  hungry,  he 
gave  a faint  smile,  and  said  that  he  could  fast  until  to- 
morrow evening.  He  might  well  laugh.  He  said  his 
dog  was  after  a deer  which  he  had  shot,  and,  judging 
from  the  marks,  he  must  have  been  hit  in  the  fleshy 
part  of  the  haunch ; the  dog,  being  young,  could  not  be 
called  off  after  once  catching  the  scent,  and  dog  and  deer 
were  soon  out  of  sight. 

While  he  was  talking,  Bearsgrease  rose  up  and 
snuffed  the  air ; Conwell  thought  it  must  be  his  dog 
who  had  found  his  trail.  As  I supposed  so  too  I took 
no  no:ice,  until  I thought  I heard  a short  bark,  and 
Bearsgrease,  growling  lightly,  gave  me  a significant 
look.  I jumped  up  with  my  rifle,  and  in  a minute  a 
noble  buck,  with  horns  laid  back,  rushed  by  at  full 
speed,  at  about  twenty  paces  from  the  camp.  I sent  a 
ball  into  him,  and  my  dog  was  instantly  close  on  his 
heels.  He  did  not  run  far ; my  ball  had  broken  the 
left  leg,  and  passed  through  the  right.  After  running 
about  200  paces,  he  sprang  into  the  Richland,  on  whose 
banks  we  were  encamped,  and  seemed  resolved  to  sell 
his  life  as  dearly  as  possible.  The  dogs  were  upon  him, 
but,  as  they  were  forced  to  swim,  while  he  touched  the 
bottom,  he  had  not  much  difficulty  in  shaking  them  off 
again.  Conwell  remained  lying  as  if  it  were  no  con- 
cern of  his,  so  I seized  his  rifle,  ran  to  the  bank,  ended 


BIVOUAC  — STORY  OF  THE  MOCCASINS.  299 


the  poor  animal’s  torments  with  a ball  through  his 
brain,  and  plunged  into  the  water  to  pull  him  out. 
Now  we  had  meat  in  plenty;  the  skin  and  haunches 
were  hung  up,  the  ribs  roasted,  and  the  dogs  fed  before 
dark. 

We  slept  well  all  night,  and  were  up  early,  but  the 
leaves  were  so  dry  that  we  found  nothing  but  one 
turkey,  which  Conwell  knocked  over.  However,  the 
sky  began  to  get  cloudy,  and  as  we  had  meat  for  the 
present,  our  hopes  rose.  It  came  on  to  blow  from 
the  north,  but  we  were  protected  by  a bank  of  about 
ten  feet  high,  and  though  we  could  not  sit  close  to  it 
on  account  of  sharp  stones,  yet  it  kept  off  some  of 
the  cold  wind,  and  a glorious  fire  soon  made  us  for- 
get it. 

Supper  was  over,  and  Conwell  had  taken  off  one  of 
his  moccasins  to  take  a stone  out,  when  he  said  that  it 
reminded  him  of  something  that  had  happened  to  him 
a long  time  ago  when  he  was  a child.  I was  already 
covered  up  in  my  blanket,  but  finding  that  he  had  a 
mind  to  talk,  I roused  up,  gave  the  fire  a poke  that 
made  the  sparks  fly,  and  leaning  back,  with  Bears- 
grease  for  a pillow,  who  seemed  well  pleased  with  the 
arrangement,  I awaited  the  commencement  of  his  nar- 
rative. 

When  I got  up,  Conwell  stopped ; but  now  passing 
his  hand  over  his  face,  he  began : — 

“ I was  between  five  and  six  years  old  when  my 
father  made  my  first  pair  of  moccasins,  for  he  was  a very 
good  shoemaker,  and  had  always  made  strong  shoes  for 
children,  though  he  himself  always  wore  moccasins; 
but,  at  my  earnest,  repeated  request,  he  made  a pair  fo^ 


300 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


me,  and  warned  me  particularly  not  to  lose  them.  On 
this  same  day  a peddler  had  been  in  the  house,  and  had 
persuaded  my  father  to  buy  a pair  of  large  boots,  as 
very  serviceable  for  bad  weather ; — and  as  it  had  rained 
a great  deal  lately,  he  put  them  on,  took  his  rifle,  and 
sallied  forth  to  the  forest.  He  was  hardly  gone  when 
I wished  to  wear  my  new  moccasins ; and,  to  my  horror, 
found  that  one  wTas  missing.  In  vain  I searched  the 
house  from  top  to  bottom ; it  was  gone,  and  the  other 
seemed  to  be  there  only  to  remind  me  of  my  loss,  and 
the  punishment  awaiting  me.  With  a beating  heart  I 
saw  my  father  return  earlier  than  I had  expected,  out 
of  humor  with  the  bad  weather  and  bad  sport;  and 
he  asked  roughly,  why  I was  running  about  barefoot. 
With  tears  in  my  eyes  I told  him  that  I could  not  find 
one  of  the  moccasins,  and  that  I thought  the  cat  must 
have  run  off  with  it.  He  said  he  would  cat  me,  and 
that  if  I did  not  find  the  other  before  night  I should 
suffer  for  it.  With  a sorrowful  heart  I recommenced 
my  search,  and  all  my  brothers  helped  me.  Meantime 
my  father  had  sat  himself  by  the  fire,  and  complained 
that  something  in  his  boot  had  plagued  him  the  whole 
day ; so,  pulling  it  off,  and  feeling  inside,  what  should 
he  find  but  my  much-bemoaned  moccasin.  It  is  easier 
to  imagine  my  delight  than  to  express  it.” 

Conwell  rolled  himself  in  his  blanket  and  fell  asleep, 
still  smiling  at  the  recollection.  I could  not  sleep ; 
his  story  had  recalled  events  of  my  own  childhood,  and 
I kept  gazing  at  the  strange  and  changing  figures  in 
the  fire.  Bearsgrease  was  lying  close  to  me,  with  his 
head  on  my  shoulder ; he  had  raised  it  several  times, 
and  snuffed  the  air,  and  again  lain  down.  At  length 


ALMOST  SURPRISED  BY  A PANTHER. 


30} 


he  roused  up  and  gave  a slight  growl.  I thought  I 
heard  something,  and  looking  up  to  the  bank  behind 
me,  I was  astonished  to  find  two  glowing  eyeballs 
steadily  fixed  upon  me.  My  head  being  between  the 
fire  and  the  animal,  I could  see  them  plainly  just  above 
the  bank.  It  must  be  a panther,  and,  judging  from 
the  position,  ready  to  spring.  My  rifle,  as  usual,  lay 
ready;  so,  half  raising  myself,  that  I might  have  the 
fire  in  a line  with  the  two  sights,  I aimed  between  the 
two  fiery  balls,  and  the  rocks  reechoed  the  report. 

Old  Con  well  was  up  like  lightning  with  his  rifle 
ready,  and  the  dogs  hunted  about  while  I reloaded, 
but  all  was  as  silent  as  the  grave.  The  old  fellow 
shook  his  head,  and  asked  what  on  earth  I had  been 
firing  at.  I finished  loading  without  a word,  then 
taking  a brand  from  the  fire  and  going  about  twenty 
paces  to  a slope  in  the  bank,  I mounted,  and  found  an 
immense  panther,  quite  dead.  I threw  him  over,  and 
C.  dragged  him  to  the  fire ; the  ball  had  pierced  his 
brain  through  the  right  eye.  He  was  a very  powerful 
beast,  had  enormous  fangs,  and  when  we  cut  him  open, 
his  stomach  was  found  quite  empty.  He  must  have 
been  attracted  to  the  fire  by  hunger,  and  C.  thought 
he  might  have  smelt  the  venison ; he  would  probably 
have  ventured  a spring  as  soon  as  the  fire  had  burnt 
low ; the  dogs  could  not  scent  him,  as  he  was  so  much 
above  us.  After  skinning  him  we  threw  the  carcass 
into  the  river  below  the  camp,  as  the  dogs  would  not 
touch  it.  We  slept  the  rest  of  the  night  undisturbed. 

A light  rain  fell  next  morning,  which,  in  about  an 
nour,  moistened  the  dead  leaves  sufficiently  for  us  to 
walk  without  making  a noise;  so  I made  haste  to 
26 


302 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


stretch  the  panther’s  skin,  and  we  set  off,  each  as  before 
taking  a separate  path.  Before  I had  gone  half  a mile 
I saw  two  deer  grazing;  just  at  this  moment  Con  well’s 
gun  was  heard  at  some  distance,  and  they  both  raised 
their  heads  and  listened  attentively,  but  perceiving 
nothing  suspicious,  they  began  to  feed  again.  They 
were  a doe  and  a year-old  fawn,  and  when  they  were 
in  a line  I fired ; the  doe,  which  was  nearest,  fell  at 
once,  and  the  fawn  after  running  about  fifty  yards. 
They  were  very  fat,  and  I hung  them  up. 

In  hanging  up  deer  it  is  necessary  to  take  precau- 
tions against  the  vultures,  which  are  a great  annoyance 
to  sportsmen.  The  best  way  of  securing  the  deer, 
whose  skin  they  would  ruin  with  their  beaks,  is  to 
hang  them  up  by  their  heads,  so  that  the  vultures  may 
have  no  point  of  support,  and  must  content  themselves 
with  pecking  at  the  skull.  There  is  also  a large  crow, 
which  tries  to  steal  the  fat ; but  they  may  be  kept  off 
by  placing  two  peeled  sticks  crosswise  on  the  deer  — for 
the  crows  will  not  venture  their  heads  between  two 
such  suspicious-looking  objects. 

Continuing  my  march,  I came  to  the  bank  of  a 
stream  running  into  the  Richland,  when  I saw  a wolf 
spring  out  of  a thicket  on  the  opposite  side,  about 
eighty  paces  off;  he  ran  about  fifty  yards  and  then 
stopped,  but  not  long  enough  for  me  to  take  aim; 
finally  he  disappeared  among  some  rocks.  I crossed 
over  to  the  thicket  to  see  how  Bearsgrease  would  take 
the  scent  of  a wolf ; all  his  hairs  bristled  up  the  moment 
he  came  to  the  yet  warm  lair. 

Late  in  the  afternoon,  on  my  way  to  the  camp,  I 
struck  a fresh  bear’s  trail,  and  followed  it  up,  though 


A NOVEL  SLEEPING-ROOM. 


303 


it  led  me  out  of  my  way.  Meantime  it  began  to  rain 
harder,  and  coming  to  a broad  stream,  which  the 
bear  had  crossed,  my  dog  lost  the  trail.  As  it  was  too 
late  to  return  to  the  camp,  I considered  myself  lucky 
in  finding  a cave,  two  feet  deep  in  leaves  driven  in  by 
the  wind.  Without  making  a fire,  which  would  have 
been  dangerous,  I crept  in,  taking  Bearsgrease  for  a 
pillow,  who  was  much  pleased  thereby,  and,  spite  of 
wet  clothes,  I slept  well  till  morning,  covered  up  with 
the  leaves. 

The  morning  was  cold  and  wet,  my  clothes  were  still 
damp  from  yesterday’s  rain,  and  I was  as  hungry  as  a 
lion  ; so  altogether  I did  not  feel  quite  so  comfortable 
as  I could  wish.  But  walking  quick  to  warm  myself, 
in  about  an  hour’s  time  I reached  the  place  where  I 
had  left  the  two  deer,  hung  the  fawn  over  my  shoulders, 
and  not  long  after  gained  the  camp. 

The  fire  was  burning  bright  which  C.  had  only 
lately  left,  and  it  was  no  small  quantity  of  venison 
that  I put  down  to  roast.  Having  appeased  my 
appetite,  and  fed  Bearsgrease,  I laid  down  again  to 
rest.  After  an  hour’s  time,  as  C.  did  not  return,  I set 
off  again ; it  was  still  very  cold.  As  I was  passing  a 
small  ravine  I saw  a young  buck  feeding,  without  the 
slightest  suspicion  of  danger.  As  I was  within  dis- 
tance, I aimed  and  fired  ; he  fell  as  if  shot  through  the 
brain,  but  my  ball  had  struck  too  high,  so  that  at  the 
moment  when  I came  up  to  seize  him  he  recovered 
himself,  and  rose  on  his  forelegs.  I saw  on  the  instant 
that  there  was  no  time  to  lose,  and  threw  myself  upon 
him.  The  dog  had  also  seized  him,  and  I was  in  the 
act  of  drawing  my  knife  to  plunge  in  his  throat,  when 


304 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


lie  made  a sudden  effort,  and  we  all  three  tumbled  down 
a declivity  of  nine  or  ten  feet.  In  falling  I had  dropped 
my  knife,  which  fell  among  the  stones,  and  I felt  much 
pain  in  my  head  and  left  side  ; but  neither  I nor  Bears- 
grease  had  let  go  our  hold.  The  poor  animal  made 
most  desperate  efforts  to  escape,  and  with  our  greatest 
exertions  it  was  hardly  possible  for  us  to  hold  him. 
Without  a knife  there  was  but  one  method  of  securing 
him  ; a cruel  one,  indeed,  but  if  I had  to  bite  his  neck 
through  with  my  teeth  I would  not  let  him  go.  I 
threw  him  over  on  his  side,  and  smashed  his  forelegs 
with  a sharp  stone.  Thus  crippled,  Bearsgrease  could 
hold  him ; I jumped  up,  found  my  knife,  and  ended  the 
poor  creature’s  torments. 

I succeeded  in  slinging  it  with  a great  deal  of 
trouble,  my  left  side  paining  me  exceedingly  ; however 
I managed  to  climb  up  the  steep,  recovered  and  loaded 
my  rifle,  and  hobbled  towards  the  camp,  intending  to 
remain  quiet  the  rest  of  the  day. 

I found  my  old  friend  awaiting  me.  He  had  killed 
four  bucks,  and  brought  away  their  haunches,  the  rest 
not  being  good  eating  at  this  season.  We  settled  to 
shoot  towards  the  house  next  day,  and  then  to  take 
horses  to  carry  home  the  game  we  had  shot. 

On  our  way  homewards  we  only  killed  three  turkeys. 
We  caught  the  horses  the  same  evening,  and  once  more 
reposed  our  weary  limbs  among  my  old  friend’s  family 
circle. 

At  midnight  it  began  to  rain,  and  towards  morning 
it  poured  in  torrents.  The  game  was  not  to  be  thought 
of,  and  we  sat  round  the  fire  amusing  ourselves  with 


THE  CAPTURED  BUFFALO. 


STORY  OF  A BUFFALO  HUNT. 


305 


old  stories  and  anecdotes.  As  we  were  talking  of  the 
prairies,  Conwell  told  us  one  of  his  adventures  after 
buffaloes. 

“ Not  many  years  ago,  when  I lived  in  the  Ivickapoo 
prairie,  in  Missouri,  four  of  us  set  out  one  morning  to 
shoot  buffaloes.  It  was  bitter  cold,  and  we  rode  rapidly 
over  the  frozen  ground.  On  gaining  an  elevation,  we 
descried  a herd  in  the  distance,  and  made  towards  them. 
When  about  half  a mile  from  them  they  discovered  us, 
and  ran  off,  we  after  them  helter-skelter.  The  hind- 
most was  a cow,  too  fat  to  keep  up  with  the  others,  so 
we  all  singled  her  out  for  our  mark.  After  galloping 
for  about  a mile,  she  received  all  our  balls,  and  fell, 
when  we  secured  her.  The  wind  was  now  blowing 
from  the  north-west,  almost  cold  enough  to  freeze  the 
marrow  in  our  bones,  and  the  dry  buffalo  dung,  the 
only  fuel  in  the  prairies,  made  but  a poor  fire.  The 
nearest  wood  was  about  a mile  from  the  place  where 
the  cow  fell,  and  a debate  arose  whether  we  should 
fetch  the  wood  to  the  buffalo,  or  carry  the  buffalo  to 
the  wood.  We  thought  the  latter  easier.  One  of  the 
party,  named  Turner,  began  to  strip  off  the  skin ; we 
offered  to  help  him,  but  he  would  not  permit  it ; so, 
willingly  leaving  the  cold  work  to  him,  we  made  as 
good  a fire  as  we  could  for  him  to  warm  his  hands  by. 
When  the  skin  was  off,  we  cut  off  the  prime  pieces, 
took  the  marrow-bones,  packed  them  in  the  skin,  threw 
them  over  a horse,  and  brought  them  to  the  nearest 
wood,  where  we  luckily  found  water.  Our  four 
tomahawks  soon  cut  wood  enough,  and  we  made  a 
roaring  fire;  when  it  was  burnt  to  charcoal  we  stuck 
26  * 


306 


WILD  SPOUTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


in  the  marrow-bones,  first  one  end,  then  the  other ; and 
certainly  there  is  no  more  delicate  eating  for  the  back- 
woodsman than  buffalo  marrow,  except  bear’s  ribs,  and 
wild  honey.  The  meat  was  rather  tough,  and  nothing 
particular. 

“ It  was  now  getting  dark,  and  we  began  to  prepare 
our  camp.  One  of  the  party  proposed,  instead  of  each 
rolling  himself  separately  in  his  blanket,  that  we 
should  spread  the  skin,  which  was  large  enough  to 
hold  us  all,  and  then  lay  all  the  blankets  over  us. 
But  Turner  objected,  and  maintained  that  as  he  had 
skinned  the  cow  alone,  he  alone  would  sleep  in  it.  It 
was  all  the  same  to  us  ; we  all  had  good  blankets,  and 
could  make  ourselves  comfortable  by  the  fire,  which 
we  closely  surrounded,  while  Turner  wrapped  himself 
in  his  heavy  skin,  with  the  hairy  side  inwards ; — and 
we  were  all  soon  asleep. 

“The  weather  was  extremely  cold,  and  we  were 
obliged  to  get  up  several  times  in  the  course  of  the 
night,  to  lay  on  fresh  wood,  though  Turner  never 
moved  out  of  his  warm  skin.  Towards  morning  the 
wind  changed  to  north-east,  and  the  sky  threatening 
a snow-storm,  we  decided  on  returning  home  as  soon 
as  possible,  to  avoid  the  approaching  storm,  or  at  any 
rate  to  get  better  shelter-  than  the  open  prairie  afforded. 
So  we  swallowed  our  breakfasts  quickly,  and  saddled 
the  horses,  which  had  been  feeding  on  the  dry  grass, 
and  now  approached  as  close  as  they  could  to  the  fire. 
We  called  Turner  several  times  to  make  him  get  up, 
but  a slight  motion  of  the  hide  was  the  only  answer. 
At  length,  a half  smothered  cry  for  help  issued  from 


BOOKS  IN  WET  WEATHER. 


307 


the  skin.  We  rushed  to  Turner  in  alarm,  fearing  some- 
thing serious,  but  burst  into  a roar  of  laughter,  on 
finding  that  he  was  frozen  in,  and  could  not  move  a 
limb.  We  rolled  him  to  the  fire,  to  thaw  the  skin, 
and  set  him  free ; the  rolling  and  the  heat  made  him 
feel  rather  giddy,  but  a hot  marrow-bone  restored 
him ; — and  then  loading  the  horses  with  the  softened 
skin,  and  the  remainder  of  the  meat,  we  reached 
home  before  the  storm,  which  came  on  that  evening 
with  tremendous  force.” 

The  weather  continued  gloomy  enough,  the  clouds 
hanging  about  the  trees,  as  if  they  were  seeking  shelter 
from  the  wind,  which  was  driving  them  from  the 
rocky  mountains.  All  the  cattle  collected  near  the 
house,  with  their  tails  to  the  wind,  and  pendant  ears, 
looking  very  wretched.  Luckily  I found  a few  books, 
— such  - as  “ A Dialogue  of  Devils,”  “ The  Life  of 
Marion,”  “The  Life  of  Washington,”  “The  Pilgrim’s 
Progress,”  “ The  United  States’  Reader,”  &c.,  and 
killed  some  of  the  time  by  turning  over  their 
leaves. 

The  rain  lasted  till  the  12  th  January.  The  various 
streams  had  become  cataracts  and  rivers,  so  we  were 
obliged  to  remain  at  home  two  days  longer.  Mean- 
time our  store  of  meat  had  fallen  very  low,  and  there 
appeared  little  hope  of  being  able  to  use  that  which 
we  had  left  hanging  in  the  forest.  However  we 
hastened  away  to  save  the  skins,  if  there  was  yet  time. 
The  streams  were  still  so  swelled  that  we  could  only 
pass  them  on  horseback.  We  reached  our  last  camp 
about  noon,  and  found,  as  we  had  expected,  that  the 


308 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


meat  was  tainted,  and  the  greater  part  of  it  devoured 
by  vultures.  We  stretched  the  skins,  in  the  hope 
that  the  wind,  with  the  help  of  a faint  sun,  which 
was  peering  bashfully  through  the  clouds,  might  dry 
them. 

As  it  grew  late,  and  we  had  no  other  provisions 
than  bread  and  salt,  we  set  off  with  the  dogs  to  look 
for  turkeys,  and  came  upon  a gang  just  as  they  were 
making  themselves  comfortable  for  the  night.  We 
killed  two,  and  might  have  shot  more,  but  did  not 
wish  to  increase  the  quantity  of  decaying  meat  in  the 
neighborhood.  On  this  account  we  removed  our 
camp  about  half  a mile  off,  stretched  our  blankets  to 
keep  off  a light  drizzling  rain,  hobbled  the  horses,  and  fed 
them  with  maize.  The  wolves  made  a dreadful  noise 
all  night  at  our  old  quarters.  In  the  morning  the 
rain  held  up,  and  the  clouds  separated  a little ; so  I 
set  off  to  try  and  steal  a march  on  them,  and  spoil 
their  howling.  The  leaves  were  wet,  and  going  round 
to  gain  the  wind,  I crept  for  about  two  hundred  yards 
on  my  knees  up  to  a large  tree,  and  counted  eight  of 
them.  Although  they  were  to  windward  of  me,  one 
of  them  raised  his  head  and  began  snuffing  the  air, 
then  turned  sharp  round,  and  they  all  made  off  with 
their  peculiar  long  gallop  for  the  bush.  Now  was  my 
time  or  never ; I aimed  at  one  of  the  largest,  which 
covered  another  with  its  body.  When  the  smoke 
cleared  away,  not  a wolf  was  to  be  seen ; they  had 
vanished  like  magic  — but  following  up  the  trail,  I 
found  one  dead,  and  signs  of  another  being  wounded; 
but  I found  nothing  more  of  the  latter,  — he  was  prob- 


MARAUDING  WOLVES BRUIN  IN  HIS  NEST.  309 


ably  torn  to  pieces  by  his  comrades.  I scalped  my 
prize,  and  returned  to  the  camp ; the  scalp  is  valued, 
as  before  stated,  at  three  dollars. 

Meantime  Conwell  had  employed  himself  in  roasting 
turkeys,  and  we  made  an  excellent  breakfast.  We 
then  started  off  again.  When  I came  to  the  place 
where  I had  hung  up  the  buck,  whose  capture  nearly 
cost  me  my  neck,  I found  that  the  wolves  had  suc- 
ceeded in  dragging  it  down,  and  eaten  nearly  all  but 
the  bones.  I knocked  over  another,  and  also  killed  a 
wild  cat ; returning  to  camp  in  the  afternoon,  where 
Conwell  had  arrived  before  me.  He  had  killed  a 
couple  of  deer,  and  we  decided  on  bringing  them  to  the 
camp,  as  there  were  so  many  wolves  about. 

Finding  no  traces  of  bears,  we  determined  to  leave 
the  Richland  and  try  the  Mulberry  again ; so  next 
morning  we  loaded  our  horses,  and  set  off  on  our 
return.  As  we  were  descending  a hill,  Conwell  stopped 
suddenly  at  the  foot  of  a large  oak,  and  after  examining 
the  bark  attentively,  he  said  that  a bear  was  either  in 
the  tree,  or  had  very  lately  left  it.  The  weather  had 
improved,  and  it  was  again  rather  cold.  We  had 
nothing  better  than  our  tomahawks  for  cutting  down 
the  tree,  and  they  were  not  very  sharp ; a few  strokes 
proved  the  fact.  Luckily  for  us  it  was  hollow,  and  we 
set-to  with  a will. 

After  hacking  at  it  for  three  hours,  the  tree  began 
to  crack.  We  seized  our  rifles,  called  the  dogs,  and 
hastened  towards  the  direction  in  which  the  tree  must 
fall,  to  be  ready  to  receive  him.  A couple  of 
small  splinters  broke  first ; then  a larger  one  ; then  the 


310 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


top  began  to  bend  slowly  down  the  hill ; then  with  a 
loud  crash,  and  smashing  its  branches  in  the  fall,  the  tree 
measured  its  length  on  the  ground.  No  bear  appeared ; 
the  nest  was  empty,  though  there  could  be  no  doubt 
it  had  lately  been  tenanted,  for  the  sides  were  beauti- 
fully smooth  and  clean.  There  was  a bough  about 
five  feet  below  the  hole,  where  the  bear  went  in  and 
out,  on  which  an  Indian  must  formerly  have  stood,  and 
tried  to  make  an  opening  with  his  tomahawk,  but 
without  success;  probably  the  bear,  disturbed  by  the 
blows,  had  made  his  way  out  in  time.  Judging  by 
the  bark,  this  must  have  occurred  about  four  or  five 
years  ago. 

While  we  were  looking  at  it,  Conwell  asked  what 
the  dogs  were  about ; they  appeared  to  be  very  eagerly 
licking  up  something  from  the  ground,  and  we  found 
that,  accidentally,  we  had  cut  down  a tree  with  honey 
in  it.  The  bees  were  all  torpid  with  the  cold,  and 
the  dogs  were  enjoying  the  honey,  which  the  breaking 
boughs  had  brought  to  light.  Our  plans  were  soon 
arranged ; Conwell  went  to  look  for  a deer ; I took 
my  tomahawk  to  cut  a trough,  and  was  soon  busy 
about  the  upper  part  of  the  trunk,  which  was  sound 
enough.  As  it  was  freezing,  and  the  honey  would  not 
run,  there  was  no  occasion  to  make  the  trough  very 
deep ; so  it  was  soon  finished,  and  I loaded  it  with 
great  lumps  of  the  frozen  delicacy.  This  done,  I col- 
lected wood  and  made  a fire,  expecting  we  should  pass 
the  night  here ; but  just  then  I heard  the  report  of  Con- 
well’s  gun  quite  near,  followed  by  his  hail : I answered, 
and  was  soon  by  his  side.  He  had  killed  k large  fat 


HONEY-LADEN  HOME. 


311 


doe,  which  we  hung  up  by  the  hind  legs,  made  a cut 
above  the  haunch,  and  drew  off  the  skin  without 
another  touch  of  the  knife,  except  at  the  knees,  hocks, 
and  head;  stopping  the  holes,  we  turned  it  with  the 
hair  outwards,  and  so  made  a bag  to  carry  the  honey. 
When  it  was  all  in,  I mounted,  Conwell  handed  it  to 
me,  and  away  we  went  homewards,  leaving  the  greater 
part  of  the  iast  deer  behind. 


CHAPTER  X. 


A PERILOUS  BEAR-HUNT A DEBATING  SOCIETY 

PANTHER  HUNT DISASTROUS  EVENTS DEATH 

OP  ERSKINE DEPARTURE. 

The  winter  sleep  of  bears-—  The  she-bear  and  cubs  in  the  care  — 
Our  perilous  hunt  — Erskine  — Debating  society  in  the  woods  — 
Questions  discussed — My  proposition  — Adventure  with  a pan- 
ther— Our  wounds  — Bad  sport — Hunting  with  the  Indians  — 
The  skeletons  in  the  cave  — Erskine’s  fatal  encounter  with  the 
bear  — My  wounded  shoulder  — Indian  surgery  — I decline  set- 
tling in  the  woods  — sorrowful  leave-taking. 

W e had  no  trifle  to  carry,  and  were  very  glad  to  reach 
home ; but  our  feet  were  hardly  out  of  the  stirrups 
when  we  heard  that  some  Indians  had  looked  in. 
They  had  discovered  a cave  which  certainly  contained 
a bear,  but  the  Cherokees,  who  had  iirst  found  it,  had 
not  ventured  to  penetrate  far,  as  it  was  deep  and  nar- 
row. This  was  grist  to  our  mill.  The  skins  and  meat 
were  stowed  away,  the  rifles  discharged  and  cleaned, 
horses  fed,  and  all  prepared  for  a regular  hunt.  We 
passed  the  evening  in  telling  stories  about  bears  ; 
among  others  Conwell  related  the  following  anecdote 
respecting  their  winter  sleep : “ In  this  southern 

climate,  the  bear  generally  lays  up  about  Christmas, 
or  the  beginning  of  the  year,  and  remains  till  the  end 
of  February  ; if  the  weather  is  then  mild  he  comes  out 
occasionally,  and  sometimes  he  does  not  return  to  his 
(312) 


BEARS  IN  THEIR  WINTER-QUARTERS. 


313 


winter-quarters,  but  prepares  a new  lair  by  biting  down 
branches,  and  making  a bed  for  himself  in  the  most 
secluded  and  thickest  jungle,  as  far  removed  as  pos- 
sible from  the  haunts  of  man.  If  they  go  into  a cave, 
they  do  not  take  any  provisions  with  them,  but  keep 
sucking  their  paws,  whining  all  the  time ; when  they 
become  torpid,  they  lie  with  their  head  doubled  under 
them,  and  their  fore-paws  above  it.  I myself  have 
crawled  into  a cave,  and  poked  bears  with  the  end 
of  my  rifle,  to  make  them  raise  their  heads,  so  that  I 
might  conveniently  fire  into  their  brains ; and  the 
bears  were  always  cowardly  in  a cave,  except  they  had 
young,  when  they  fight  furiously  — but  even  then,  only 
when  they  have  no  other  choice.  When  the  weather 
is  warm  and  they  come  out  to  drink,  it  is  extraordinary 
how  exactly  they  always  step  in  the  same  place ; but  as 
the  marks  are  thereby  made  so  much  deeper,  these 
‘stepping  paths,’  as  they  are  called,  are  easily  dis- 
covered.” 

The  night  was  bitter  cold ; the  day  broke  as  fine  as 
a sportsman  could  wish.  One  of  Conwell’s  married 
sons,  who  lived  in  the  neighborhood,  joined  our  party, 
and  another  young  man  named  Smith,  and  as  we  rode 
by  the  school,  the  master  dismissed  all  the  boys  and 
girls,  as  the  temptation  to  accompany  us  was  too  strong 
to  be  resisted.  We  took  plenty  of  fir  splinters  for 
torches,  and  our  guide  was  young  Smith,  who  was  one 
of  the  party  who  had  tracked  the  bear,  but  not  ventured 
very  far  into  the  cave. 

We  reached  the  entrance  about  two  o’clock  in  the 
afternoon,  and  prepared  a good  dinner  to  strengthen  us 
for  the  exertions  in  prospect.  While  the  meat  was 
27 


314 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


roasting,  I took  a survey  of  the  outside,  which  presented 
a wall  of  limestone  rock,  about  thirty  feet  high,  and 
about  300  feet  long,  with  four  openings.  After  having 
well  fortified  the  inner  man,  we  prepared  to  enter  the 
cave.  We  took  only  one  rifle  with  us,  but  each  had 
his  large  hunting-knife,  and  I buckled  my  powder-horn 
close  to  my  side  ; then  with  my  rifle  in  my  right  hand, 
and  a torch  of  at  least  twenty  inches  in  my  left,  we 
entered  a dark  passage  about  four  feet  high  and  two 
feet  wide  ; young  Conwell  came  next  to  me  with 
another  torch,  followed  by  his  father  with  a bundle  of 
splinters  to  replace  the  torches  as  they  burnt  out.  For 
about  eighty  yards  it  was  all  hard  rock,  and  we  ad- 
vanced easily  enough.  But  now  came  a sudden  turn  to 
the  right,  and  the  cave  was  so  low  that  we  were  obliged 
to  crawl  on  our  hands  and  knees  ; the  bottom  was  stiff 
clay,  with  numerous  marks  of  bears,  some  quite  fresh. 
As  we  advanced  the  passage  became  still  smaller,  and 
we  were  obliged  to  crawl  on  our  stomachs.  Thus  far 
the  Indians  had  penetrated,  as  we  found  by  splinters 
of  fir,  and  marks  of  their  elbows  and  knees  in  the  clay. 
The  passage  was  now  so  small  that  I was  obliged  to 
lie  quite  flat,  and  push  myself  along  by  my  feet  assisted 
by  my  left  elbow,  holding  the  torch  in  my  left  hand, 
and  the  rifle  in  front  with  the  right.  The  aperture 
was  quite  round,  and  rubbed  smooth  by  the  passing  in 
and  out  of  wild  animals,  who  may  perhaps  have  made 
this  their  winter-quarters  for  hundreds  of  years.  Here 
and  there  we  found  stalactites,  which  were  a great 
hinderance,  and  we  often  had  considerable  difficulty  in 
pushing  ourselves  through. 

Apparently,  we  were  the  first  whites,  indeed  the  first 


bruin’s  cave. 


315 


men,  who  had  ever  ventured  into  the  place,  for  the 
ground  retained  every  impression  that  had  been  made 
in  it.  In  some  places  the  marks  of  the  bears  were 
petrified,  having  perhaps  been  left  centuries  ago.  Once 
the  thought  occurred  to  me : should  we  ever  get  out 
again,  or  perish  here  from  hunger  ? I went  on  how- 
ever, all  my  senses  on  the  stretch,  to  discover  the  sleep- 
ing bear. 

We  disturbed  immense  numbers  of  bats  with  our 
torches,  and  found  also  several  crickets  and  a few  blue- 
bottle flies.  When  my  torch  was  nearly  burnt  out,  I 
stopped  for  a supply  from  young  Conwell ; the  moment 
I remained  quite  still,  I thought  I heard  a low  whining 
not  far  off ; and  listening  attentively,  I distinctly  heard 
the  sound  bear  cubs  make  in  sucking,  and  a low  deep 
growling ; so  there  was  no  longer  any  doubt  but  that  we 
were  near  a she-bear  with  cubs. 

The  place  where  I had  stopped  was.  rather  more 
roomy,  so  that  I could  sit  up,  and  I turned  to  the  two 
Conwells  and  asked  if  they  heard  the  sound,  which 
they  answered  with  a whispered  “ Yes  ; ” — and  we  held 
a short  council  as  to  further  proceedings.  In  the  first 
place,  the  cave  was  smaller  further  on  — secondly  we 
had  only  expected  a sleeping  bear,  instead  of  a she-bear 
awake  and  with  cubs,  for  which  it  was  rather  early  in 
the  season;  though  C.  told  me  afterwards,  that  in 
Arkansas  he  had  occasionally  met  with  bear  cubs  as 
early  as  January.  Whoever  has  seen  a she-bear  defend 
her  young,  with  ears  laid  back  and  open  jaws,  may 
form  some  idea  of  our  feelings.  We  were  all  bear- 
killers,  and  knew  well  enough  the  danger  we  were 
encountering  in  a space  almost  too  narrow  to  admit  of 


316 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


any  movement.  But  at  all  events  there  we  were,  and 
there  was  the  bear — -and  no  one  even  hinted  at  a 
retreat. 

I examined  my  rifle  closely  to  see  that  all  was  right, 
and  as  we  slowly  worked  our  way  forwards,  the  elder 
Conwell  warned  me  to  make  sure  of  my  shot,  adding 
drily,  by  way  of  comfort,  that  it  would  be  all  the  better 
for  me ; for  if  I missed  I should  be  the  first  to  suffer 
from  the  animal’s  fury. 

We  came  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  growling  bear, 
who  certainly  must  long  since  have  heard  us,  and  was 
now  listening  with  all  her  might.  At  length  the  min- 
gled whining  and  growling  appeared  to  be  quite  close, 
and  holding  the  torch  behind  my  head,  I plainly  saw 
fiery  eyeballs.  I now  halted,  cleared  the  sight  of  the 
rifle,  which  had  got  clogged  with  the  clay,  refreshed  my 
torch,  and  crept  as  silently  as  possible  towards  the  dark 
mass. 

The  decisive  moment  was  come  ; and  as  I could  now 
distinguish  the  animal’s  head,  through  the  surrounding 
darkness,  I put  myself  in  an  attitude  to  take  aim.  The 
bear  had  risen  on  her  hind-legs,  and  sat  with  their  usual 
swinging  motion ; as  I was  trying  to  fix  one  of  her  eyes 
with  the  rifle,  she  suddenly  disappeared  through  the 
almost  palpable  darkness. 

Following  her  up,  we  came  upon  three  cubs,  nice 
little  things,  which  roared  lustily  when  for  the  first  time 
they  saw  a light.  These  sounds  were  by  no  means 
agreeable  to  us,  for  we  had  reason  to  fear  that  the  cries 
of  the  cubs  might  still  more  enrage  the  dam.  We 
wished  to  save  them  alive,  and  asked  old  Conwell  to 
stay  with  them  and  quiet  them  and  to  make  a fire, 


OUR  ADVENTURE  IN  THE  CAVE. 


317 


while  we  went  after  the  old  one.  Conwell  sat  down, 
and  soon  quieted  them  by  giving  them  a finger  to  suck. 

About  ten  feet  from  the  lair  the  cave  divided  into 
two  passages  of  equal  size.  The  fresh  marks  showed 
that  the  bear  had  taken  the  one  to  the  right.  Presently 
the  cubs  began  to  cry  again  with  renewed  force,  which 
rather  alarmed  us,  for  we  should  have  been  in  an  awk- 
ward predicament  if  the  bear  had  endeavored  to  hasten 
to  their  help,  and  found  the  way  blocked  up  by  our 
bodies  ; for,  with  the  best  will  in  the  world,  she  could 
neither  pass  over  us  nor  by  our  sides,  and  there  was  no 
other  way  left  than  to  kill  us,  and  eat  her  way  through. 
While  we  were  consulting  together  about  this  matter, 
in  a low  voice,  the  cry  suddenly  ceased,  and  we 
pushed  on  silently  in  better  spirits ; for,  from  all  that 
we  had  seen,  this  bear  was  rather  more  cowardly  than 
usual. 

We  went  on  and  on,  to  the  great  annoyance  of  our 
ribs  and  elbows,  and  there  seemed  to  be  no  end  to  the 
cave.  There  was  a peculiarity  about  it,  which  I never 
found  in  any  other,  namely,  several  flat  stones  about 
one  and  two  inches  thick,  which  rang  like  steel  when 
slightly  struck  with  the  finger.  One  place  was  very 
remarkable.  It  was  about  fifty  or  sixty  feet  long,  with 
similar  flat  stones  on  each  side,  approaching  to  within 
six  inches  of  each  other  in  the  middle,  so  that  one  could 
have  passed  through  in  a sitting  posture,  with  the  neck 
in  the  narrow  part,  and  the  head  in  the  upper  com- 
partment ; but  to  say  the  least,  this  would  have  been 
a rather  inconvenient  position  for  receiving  the  attack 
of  an  enraged  bear. 

After  clearing  this  double  passage,  we  arrived  at 

27  * 


318 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


a spring,  which  had  worn  itself  a channel  of  about 
eighteen  inches  deep,  and  eight  or  nine  wide.  After 
working  our  way  through  another  difficult  pass,  as  I 
was  in  the  act  of  drawing  a long  breath,  I heard  a deep 
growl  very  near  me.  Although  I had  been  listening 
for  this  sound  every  foot  of  the  way  for  several  hours, 
yet,  on  hearing  it  so  suddenly  and  so  close,  I was  rather 
startled,  and  nearly  let  fall  the  torch ; but  quickly 
recovering,  and  raising  the  torch  as  high  as  possible,  to 
the  discomfort  and  horror  of  several  innocent  bats,  I 
could  make  out  Mrs.  Bruin,  about  ten  yards  off,  sitting 
upright,  gnashing  her  teeth,  digging  into  the  ground 
with  her  sharp  claws,  and  apparently  in  the  worst  pos- 
sible humor. 

Young  Conwell,  who  was  close  behind  me,  laid  his 
hand  lightly  on  my  foot,  and  whispered  that  he  heard 
the  bear.  As  I had  obtained  this  intelligence  for 
myself,  I whispered  to  him  to  be  quiet,  and  creeping 
forward  a couple  of  paces,  I came  to  a place  from  whence 
I thought  I could  fire  with  effect.  I placed  my  right 
foot  in  the  channel  of  the  stream,  raised  myself  as  well 
as  I could  on  my  left  knee,  and  brought  up  the  rifle. 
Young  Conwell,  who  was  anxiously  watching  all  my 
motions,  whispered  me  for  God’s  sake  to  aim  carefully,  for 
if  I made  a bad  shot  we  were  both  done  for.  Although 
I was  nearer  the  danger  than  he  was,  I would  not  have 
changed  places  with  him,  as  he  could  not  see  what  was 
going  on,  and  must  naturally  fear  the  worst ; and  in 
such  cases,  it  is  preferable  to  be  in  the  post  of  danger, 
than  to  remain  in  a state  of  suspense. 

The  bear,  by  no  means  pleased  with  our  intrusion, 
laid  back  her  ears,  snapped  her  teeth,  and  kept  con- 


ATTACK  AND  RETREAT. 


319 


stantly  swinging  to  and  fro ; as  she  did  not  sit  quite 
upright  I had  no  other  choice  than  to  aim  at  the  head, 
in  the  hope  that  if  I missed  my  aim,  the  ball  might 
pierce  the  breast.  As  I was  taking  aim,  the  thought 
crossed  my  brain  for  a moment  (why  should  I deny 
it  ?)  how  helpless  I was  if  the  shot  failed  ; but  it  lasted 
only  a moment,  and,  in  the  excitement  of  the  present, 
I forgot  both  past  and  future. 

I took  a long  aim,  and  yet,  as  the  bear  was  not  still 
for  one  second  I pulled  the  trigger  too  soon.  The  cave 
was  filled  with  thick  smoke  ; a fearful  groan  announced 
that  the  beast  was  wounded  ; we  did  not  wait  to 
examine  the  state  of  affairs,  but  crept  back  as  fast  as 
the  narrow  space  would  allow,  to  a spot  where  there 
was  more  room  to  move,  in  order  to  reload,  and  return 
to  the  attack. 

We  had  retreated,  backwards,  for  about  a hundred 
yards,  and  had  halted  in  a more  convenient  part  of  the 
cave,  when  we  heard  the  bear  coming  towards  us, 
snorting  and  snapping  her  teeth,  till  the  cave  echoed 
with  the  sound.  My  first  thought  was,  “ Good-by  to 
the  light  of  the  sun.”  But  I had  not  much  .time  for 
consideration,  and  called  to  young  Conwell  to  make 
haste  if  he  valued  our  lives,  for  the  old  one  was  coming. 
He  did  not  require  much  pressing,  and  I never  saw 
crabs  crawl  backwards  quicker  than  we  tried  to  do ; 
yet,  however  great  our  hurry,  and  imminent  our  dan- 
ger, it  was  very  slow  work,  and  the  snorting  came  nearer 
and  nearer. 

I had  dropped  my  rifle,  as  it  very  much  hindered 
my  retreat,  and  keeping  a sharp  look-out  in  front, 
where  I constantly  expected  to  see  the  bear,  I suddenly 


320 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


discovered  the  glowing  eyes  only  a few  paces  off.  Just 
at  this  moment,  my  left  elbow  struck  against  a pro- 
jecting bit  of  rock ; the  torch  fell  out  of  my  hand,  and 
all  was  dark  as  pitch  ; for  although  young  Conwell  had 
a second  torch,  my  body  filled  up  the  space  so  com- 
pletely that  not  a ray  of  light  could  pass.  I took  up 
the  glimmering  splinter,  and  threw  it  at  the  bear,  which 
checked  her,  but  only  for  a moment.  Suddenly  young 
Conwell  stopped,  and  said  he  could  not  find  the  pas- 
sage ; and  making  a slip  with  his  right  hand,  which 
held  the  torch,  he  dropped  it  in  the  water.  I could 
not  answer  for  the  bear,  who  had  followed  us  slowly, 
as  if  she  knew  that  we  were  doing  our  best  to  get  Out 
of  her  way  ; she  must  have  been  so  near,  that  I felt 
sure  that  if  I stretched  out  my  arm  to  its  full  extent  I 
should  touch  her ; for  I could  feel  her  hot  breath  on 
my  face.  With  my  left  arm  a little  in  advance,  the 
right  with  the  hunting-knife  drawn  back,  I awaited, 
with  every  stroke  of  the  pulse,  the  beast’s  attack, 
thinking  of  nothing  else  than  selling  my  life  as  dearly 
as  possible  ; for  I had  no  hopes  of  getting  out  alive. 

Meantime,  young  Conwell  had  not  been  idle.  Aware 
that  we  could  do  nothing  without  a light,  he  had  felt  for 
his  tinder-box,  and  the  noise  of  his  flint  and  steel  was 
the  only  sound  that  broke  a silence  like  that  of  the 
grave ; for  at  the  first  blow  the  bear  had  ceased  growl- 
ing to  listen  to  the  strange  sounds. 

After  a painful  and  anxious  pause,  he  called  out,  “ I 
have  got  a light,  give  me  the  powder-horn  and  a rag.” 
I cut  away  the  first  from  its  sling,  then  tore  off  a piece 
of  my  hunting-shirt,  and  passed  them  behind  me.  In 
a few  minutes  he  recovered  his  splinter ; this  gave  us, 


PURSUED  EY  A WOUNDED  BEAR.  £21 

or  rather  me,  new  hopes ; for  he  had  no  fear  — firstly, 
because  he  could  not  know  how  near  the  bear  was ; 
and,  secondly,  because,  as  he  assured  me  afterwards,  he 
was  so  intent  on  striking  a light,  that  he  could  think 
of  nothing  else.  He  had  also  succeeded  in  turning 
himself  round,  and  his  voice  sounded  to  me  like  an 
angel’s  song  when  he  called  out  that  he  had  found  the 
passage.  He  had  now  the  advantage  of  creeping  for- 
wards, while  I was  still  obliged  to  show  front  to  the 
bear  ; but  he  gave  me  a few  more  splinters  of  fir,  and  a 

light,  and  we  again  began  our  slow  retreat  towards  the 
O'  o o 

entrance. 

As  I held  the  torch  forwards,  the  bear  gave  a deep 
growl,  gnashed  her  teeth,  and  retreated  a pace  or  two, 
but  followed  again  as  soon  as  she  saw  that  I was  re- 
tiring. Necessity  sharpens  invention ; I laid  a cou- 
ple of  burning  sticks  crosswise  on  the  ground,  and  saw, 
to  my  inexpressible  delight,  that  she  did  not  venture  to 
pass  them.  Shuffling  back  as  fast  as  I could,  I heard 
Jim  (young  C.)  call  out  to  his  father  to  go  back,  as  the 
bear  was  coming.  No  other  words  were  spoken,  and 
indeed  the  growling  came  nearer ; the  fire  had  probably 
gone  out  on  the  moist  ground,  and  then  she  followed  us 
again. 

I now  crawled  over  the  place  where  we  had  first 
discovered  her,  and  found  out  the  reason  why  the  cubs 
had  so  suddenly  ceased  their  cry.  When  we  stopped, 
uncertain  what  to  do,  old  C.  had  dashed  their  heads 
against  the  rock,  and  thus  most  likely  saved  our  lives ; 
for  a cry  from  the  cubs  when  our  torches  had  gone  out, 
would  have  enraged  the  wounded  animal  so  much, 
that  she  would  certainly  have  attacked  us,  and  we 


322  WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  EAR  WEST. 

should  have  been  either  killed,  or  so  dreadfully 
crippled  that  we  must  have  perished  miserably  in 
the  cave. 

At  about  a hundred  paces  from  the  lair,  I stopped 
to  listen  again,  but  could  hear  nothing.  I now  called  to 
the  others  to  wait  for  me,  and  when  we  came  to  a more 
roomy  place,  which  had  also  been  the  retreat  of  a bear, 
we  held  a consultation.  Old  C.  thought  that  the  bear 
had  lain  down  by  her  dead  cubs,  and  that  one  of  us  had 
better  return  to  the  mouth  of  the  cave  and  fetch  another 
rifle,  as  it  was  out  of  the  question  trying  to  pass  the 
furious  animal  to  get  at  mine.  However,  before  at- 
tempting the  long  and  difficult  way  back  to  the  entrance, 
I resolved  to  creep  again  to  the  lair  and  see  if  she  was 
not  dead,  for  I could  not  but  think  that  my  ball  must 
have  had  some  effect.  When  I got  there  I could  see 
nothing  of  her.  My  shout  brought  the  others  to  the 
spot ; so,  advancing  a little,  and  examining  closely,  we 
saw  thick  dark  blood,  and  found  that,  instead  of  re- 
turning to  her  lair,  she  had  taken  the  left-hand  passage. 
I instantly  proceeded  to  regain  my  rifle,  which  I found, 
covered  with  blood  and  slime,  about  three  hundred  yards 
off.  I returned  as  fast  as  I possibly  could,  cleaned  it, 
and  reloaded,  when  we  all  started  again  for  a fresh 
attack. 

The  left-hand  passage  was  as  bad  as  the  right ; but 
luckily  the  bear  had  not  gone  far.  We  soon  reached 
the  place,  where,  grinding  her  teeth,  she  awaited  our 
approach.  I halted  about  eight  or  nine  feet  from  her, 
raised  myself  as  high  as  the  space  would  allow,  laid  the 
rifle  over  my  left  arm,  in  which  I held  the  torch,  and, 
seizing  the  time  when  her  head  was  quiet  for  an  in- 


VICTORY  AT  LAST. 


323 


stant,  I fired.  Again  the  cave  echoed  the  crack  of  the 
rifle,  and  all  was  enveloped  in  thick  smoke.  I heard 
the  bear  groan  and  move,  but  stood  my  ground,  as  this 
time  I knew  that  my  ball  had  struck  the  right  place : 
as  the  smoke  cleared  away,  she  lay  dead  before  me. 

Young  Conwell  and  I were  half  dead  from  our  exer- 
tions, and  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  us  to  get 
the  bear  out ; — for  the  time  we  had  been  crawling 
in  the  close  air  of  the  cave  and  smoke  of  the  torches, 
and  the  long-continued  excitement  of  constant  danger, 
were  almost  too  much  for  the  constitution  of  any  man ; 
so  we  decided  on  returning  to  the  fresh  air  as  fast  as 
we  could.  It  took  us  about  half  an  hour  to  do  so, 
and  I shall  never  forget  the  effect  of  the  delightfully 
cool  night  air,  as  I drew  it  in  in  long  inspirations,  and 
gazed  on  the  bright-blue  starry  skies. 

Young  Smith  and  the  schoolmaster  were  fast  asleep, 
but  as  the  dogs  barked  they  both  jumped  up,  and  almost 
fell  down  again  from  fright,  for  they  swore  that  they 
had  never  seen  such  horrible  figures  as  we  looked  in 
the  red  light  of  the  torches,  covered  with  blood  and 
slime,  and  blackened  with  smoke.  Judging  by  the 
stars,  it  must  have  been  about  two  o’clock  in  the  morn- 
ing. Although  as  hungry  as  lions,  we  were  too  ex^ 
hausted  to  touch  any  thing ; so  we  lay  down  and  slept  till 
daybreak.  We  made  a good  breakfast,  and  then,  leaving 
old  Contvell  behind,  who  had  done  rather  too  much  for 
his  time  of  life,  we  four  again  entered  the  cave  to  bring 
out  our  prizes.  We  fastened  a cord  round  the  old 
bear’s  neck;  I squeezed  past,  and  shoved  from  be- 
hind, while  Smith  and  the  schoolmaster  pulled,  and 


324 


■WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST, 


young  Jim  Conwell  held  the  light.  We  gained  ground 
inch  by  inch,  and  about  noon,  amid  a general  hurrah, 
we  cast  down  the  carcase  by  the  camp  fire,  where  it 
was  instantly  taken  possession  of  by  Bearsgrease,  who 
laid  himself  growling  by  its  side. 

As  we  had  some  way  to  go  home,  we  only  opened 
and  cleaned  her,  and  broke  the  spine,  so  that  the  car- 
case might  lay  better  across  a horse.  We  reached  home 
by  the  evening ; I took  a plunge  in  the  river,  and  then 
Settled  down  to  sleep. 

We  rose  refreshed  the  next  morning  ready  for  fur- 
ther efforts,  and  concluded  to  try  some  caves  that  old 
Conwell  knew  of.  We  provided  ourselves  with  cords 
and  food,  and  made  two  large  wax  candles,  which  are 
less  disagreeable  in  a close  cave  than  pine  torches,  give 
a better  light,  and  are  not  so  liable  to  go  out.  We 
arrived  at  the  place  in  the  afternoon,  and  found  eight 
or  nine  caves,  from  forty  to  eighty  feet  deep,  but  all 
empty.  We  now  separated  to  try  different  paths,  and 
agreed  that  as  soon  as  any  one  found  a trail,  he  was  to 
make  a signal  so  that  all  might  join  in  the  chase. 

I found  a small  cave  with  fresh  marks,  but  no  bear. 
On  returning  to  the  mouth,  I heard  the  dogs,  and  lis- 
tening attentively  for  a minute  or  two,  I felt  sure  they 
were  coming  towards  me.  Presently  the  noise  of  rush- 
ing through  breaking  branches  was  very  distinct,  and  at 
last  a bear  broke  cover.  Throwing  himself  without 
hesitation  down  a precipice  of  about  ten  feet,  he  came 
towards  me  as  fast  as  his  legs  would  carry  him.  I stood 
still  to  see  how  near  he  would  come.  At  about  fifty 
paces  distance  he  winded  me,  stopped  short  in  his  career, 


ANOTHER  BRUIN  IN  HIS  LAIR. 


325 


snuffed  the  air  for  an  instant,  and  then  made  off  in  a 
different  direction.  I seized  the  opportunity  offered, 
and  sent  him  a ball ; but  I was  not  quite  cool  enough, 
and  only  wounded  him  in  the  hip.  Meantime,  the 
dogs  having  been  stopped  by  the  bluff  which  Bruin  had 
so  unceremoniously  disposed  of,  he  gained  a good  space 
in  advance ; but  the  wound  checked  his  speed,  and  I 
could  soon  distinguish  by  the  dogs’  bark  that  they  had 
come  up  with  him  again,  but  were  keeping  out  of 
reach  of  his  paws.  A young  man  named  Erskine,  who 
was  shooting  near  us,  attracted  by  the  report  of  my 
gun  and  the  barking  of  the  dogs,  came  up  and  gave  the 
mortal  wound.  The  two  Conwells  joined  soon  after, 
and  we  broke  him  up  together. 

Erskine  told  us  that  he  had  found  a cave,  which  he 
was  sure  contained  a bear,  and  asked  one  of  us  to  go 
with  him  and  try  it,  as  he  had  neither  torches  nor  wax 
candles.  I was  ready  at  once,  took  one  of  the  candles, 
and  explaining  to  the  others  where  they  might  find  us, 
we  set  off,  and  reached  the  place  about  sunset.  We 
first  made  a large  fire  before  the  entrance  of  the  cave, 
and  then  crept  into  it,  E.  preceding.  Further  on,  the 
passage  grew  larger,  so  that  we  could  walk  upright, 
side  by  side.  After  going  some  distance,  we  heard  the 
regular*  low  whine  of  the  bear,  who  was  sucking  his 
paws,  and  Erskine,  also  a regular  bear-hunter,  asserted 
that  he  was  fast  asleep.  Passing  a sharp  turn  in  the 
cave,  we  discovered  him  at  our  feet,  and,  as  my  com- 
rade had  stated,  fast  asleep,  his  head  between  his  paws, 
uttering  a low  monotonous  whine.  Erskine  set  the 
muzzle  of  the  rifle  to  the  back  of  his  head,  and  fired ; 
he  gave  a convulsive  start,  and  lay  dead.  I probed  the 
28 


326 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  PAR  WEST. 


wound  with  my  fore  finger  to  see  how  far  the  ball  had 
penetrated  ; the  rifle  threw  a ball  of  twenty-two  to  the 
pound  ; the  skull  was  completely  shattered. 

We  now  decided  on  getting  out  of  the  cave  for  a 
little  repose  and  refreshment,  and  to  await  the  Con- 
wells.  We  found  them  sitting  by  the  fire,  and  young 
C.  offered  at  once  to  take  the  cord  and  fasten  it  round 
the  bear’s  neck,  and  try  and  pull  him  out  alone.  Light- 
ing one  of  the  candles,  he  soon  disappeared  in  the 
cave.  They  had  examined  several  other  caves,  but 
had  not  found  any  more  signs.  Extraordinary  to 
relate,  we  had  not  seen  a single  deer  during  the  course 
of  our  hunt ; the  forest  seemed  deserted,  excepting  by 
a bear  or  two  in  the  caves,  and  a very  few  turkeys. 

We  had  rested  and  talked  for  about  half  an  hour, 
when  young  C.  reappeared  without  the  bear,  having 
found  it  too  heavy,  and  requiring  help.  We  went,  one 
and  all,  taking  fresh  torches  with  us,  to  the  scene  of 
action,  and  dragged  him  out,  though  with  considerable 
difficulty,  as  many  parts  of  the  route  were  ill  adapted 
for  the  transport  of  such  a mass  of  flesh.  Lying  down 
by  the  fire,  we  slept  comfortably  till  late  next  morning. 
It  was  near  noon  ere  we  could  tear  ourselves  away 
from  our  couches  of  soft  leaves,  but  as  we  all  agreed 
that  we  must  move  sooner  or  later,  we  got  up",  loaded 
the  horses  with  our  prizes,  and  moved  off  towards 
Conwell’s  dwelling  in  as  direct  a line  as  the  nature  of 
the  country  would  allow.  We  kept  no  look-out  for 
game  on  our  way  home,  having  meat  enough,  and  being 
almost  tired  to  death. 

We  received  a hearty  welcome  from  Con  well’s  family, 
and  we  resolved  to  enjoy  a little  repose  after  all  our 


BACKWOODS  DEBATING  SOCIETY. 


327 


hard  work.  In  spite  of  the  bears  and  bats  that  I 
encountered  in  my  dreams,  I awoke  quite  refreshed, 
and  did  full  justice  to  the  beautiful  breakfast  of  bear- 
collops,  milk,  and  maize  bread.  Perhaps  the  wild  out- 
door life  which  we  had  been  leading  may  have  lent 
more  charms  to  the  quiet  life  of  this  happy  home,  than 
under  other  circumstances  I should  have  been  sensible 
of ; but,  be  that  as  it  may,  I shall  never  forget  this 
amiable  family.  Old  C.  and  I sat  the  whole  day  by 
the  fireside,  mending  our  leggings  and  moccasins.  He 
was  certainly  the  last  man  in  the  world  „ to  neglect 
spinning  a yarn  when  he  had  a good  opportunity,  and 
he  told  me  so  many  anecdotes,  and  related  so  many 
adventures,  that  the  day  passed  away  only  too  soon. 

About  an  hour  before  sunset,  a neighbor  came  in 
to  inquire  whether  we  would  go  with  him  to  the 
debates.  “ Debates  ! ” I asked,  quite  astonished,  “ what 
does  that  mean  ? ” He  seemed  still  more  astonished  at 
my  ignorance,  and  explained  that,  on  every  Friday,  it 
was  the  custom  to  hold  a meeting  at  the  school-house, 
about  two  miles  off,  to  debate  on  any  subject  which 
might  be  proposed,  and  in  which  the  scholars  took 
part.  The  account  excited  my  curiosity  still  more,  and 
I decided  on  no  account  to  miss  such  an  opportunity. 
Old  C.  had  frequented  these  meetings  too  often  to  be 
induced  to  leave  his  comfortable  fireside  ; but  I saddled 
a horse  at  once,  and  was  soon  at  the  school. 

Imagine  a large  smoky  building  in  the  midst  of  a 
forest,  with  dark,  dusty  windows  ; a broad,  well-worn 
door-stone  ; a heavy  iron-bound  door ; and  rules  and 
regulations  pasted  up  here  and  there  in  the  room.  A 
number  of  horses,  fastened  to  the  surrounding  trees. 


328 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


showed  that  several  of  the  debaters  were  already 
assembled.  A bright  fire  burned  in  the  chimney, 
the  room  was  nearly  full,  and  almost  everybody  was 
talking.  At  length  order  was  established,  and  the 
company  proceeded  to  the  business  of  the  evening. 
Two  judges  and  two  leaders  were  selected.  The  judges 
took  their  places  in  the  centre,  while  the  leaders 
stationed  themselves  on  opposite  sides,  each  taking  it 
in  turns  to  choose  a follower  from  the  persons  present. 
The  question  to  be  decided  was  this:  “In  a thickly 
inhabited  district,  where  much  cattle  was  reared,  there 
was  only  one  parish  bull.  The  district  was  on  the 
bank  of  a broad  river,  and  the  inhabitants  were  obliged 
to  cross  it  very  often,  as  all  the  mills  and  tanneries 
were  on  the  other  side  — but  there  was  only  one  ferry- 
boat, passed  to  and  fro  by  a single  rope.  The  bull  got 
down  to  the  ferry,  and  on  board  the  boat,  and  gnawed 
the  rope  in  two ; the  boat  floated  down  the  river  with 
the  bull,  and  boat  and  bull  were  never  seen  again.” 
These  were  the  facts,  now  comes  the  question,  “ Who 
is  to  pay  the  damage  for  the  loss  ? The  owner  of  the 
boat  for  carrying  off  the  bull,  or  the  owner  of  the 
bull,  because,  from  some  malicious  though  undis- 
covered intention,  he  stole  the  boat  ? ” 

It  was  highly  amusing  to  see  one  after  another 
stand  up,  and  seriously  defend  the  cause  of  the  bull, 
or  the  boat ; others  again  talked  all  sorts  of  nonsense 
for  a quarter  of  an  hour,  and  then  sat  down  with  the 
remark  that  it  was  unnecessary  to  say  more,  as  the 
case  was  so  clear  that  the  judges  could  not  do  other- 
wise than  give  a decision  in  their  favor.  After  all 
had  been  heard,  myself  included,  the  judges  consulted 


KNOTTY  POINTS  OF  DEBATE. 


329 


together,  and  the  owner  of  the  bull  was  condemned  to 
pay  the  expenses.  The  next  question  was  : u Which  is 
better,  a single  or  a married  life  ? ” The  judges  were 
not  quite  impartially  chosen.  The  wife  of  one  had 
run  off  with  a young  man  to  Texas,  three  years  ago ; 
the  wife  of  the  other  had  three  times  borne  twins.  I 
was  chosen  on  the  married  side  with  the  school- 
master, three  or  four  other  young  men,  and  six  or 
seven  of  the  scholars.  We  defended  our  cause  with 
glowing  animation  — but  one  judge  thought  of  Texas, 
and  the  other  of  the  twins,  and  our  scale  kicked  the 
beam.  Several  other  questions  were  discussed ; among 
them,  “ Which  is  worse,  a smoky  chimney  or  a scolding 
wife  ? ” Left  undecided.  At  last  I was  invited  to 
propose  a subject,  but  I would  not  consent  until  I 
received  assurance  that  it  should  be  discussed : “ Which 
enjoys  life  most,  has  fewer  cares,  and  lighter  sorrows  — • 
a short  or  a long-tailed  dog  ? ” But  by  this  time  it  was 
late,  and  time  to  adjourn ; so  the  house  was  soon 
left  to  its  solitude  in  the  forest,  and  the  party  dispersed 
in  all  directions  to  their  dwellings. 

On  the  morning  of  the  22nd  January,  Old  Conwell 
and  I shouldered  our  rides,  and  each  provided  with 
meat  and  bread,  we  wandered  towards  the  waters  of 
the  Richland.  Lucky  was  it  that  we  took  provisions, 
for  not  a shot  did  we  fire.  Next  day  was  almost  as 
bad,  and  if  Conwell  had  not  knocked  over  a turkey, 
we  should  have  been  reduced  to  chew  sassafras.  At 
length  on  the  third  day,  he  shot  a deer  and  I a turkey, 
which  put  a little  life  into  the  dogs.  Disgusted  with 
our  bad  luck,  we  decided  on  returning  home  next 
day ; besides,  the  weather  was  bad,  and  threatened  to 
28  * 


330 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


be  worse.  To  our  inexpressible  joy,  snow  fell  during 
the  night,  and  all  thoughts  of  return  vanished.  We 
took  different  directions,  with  the  agreement  to  return 
to  camp  in  the  evening.  I had  not  gone  far  when  I 
saw  footsteps  of  a young  buck  in  the  four-inch  deep 
snow,  followed  him  up  and  shot  him.  I heard  the 
report  of  Conwell’s  rifle  about  the  same  time.  Hanging 
up  the  deer,  I walked  on.  After  lounging  along  slowly 
for  above  an  hour,  without  seeing  any  thing,  I came 
across  the  track  of  Conwell,  who,  with  his  dog,  had 
been  following  up  the  bloody  trail  of  a panther ; I 
gathered  from  the  signs  that  he  had  broken  his  left 
hind  leg.  I followed  it  up  on  the  instant,  as  fast  as 
my  legs  could  carry  me ; in  rather  more  than  an  hour 
I arrived  at  the  mouth  of  a cave,  where  Conwell  was 
awaiting  me,  knowing  that  I should  cross  his  trail, 
and  follow  it  up  as  soon  as  I saw  the  marks  of  the 
panther. 

The  wounded  brute  had  taken  refuge  in  the  cave, 
leaving  us  to  act  as  we  pleased,  probably  thinking 
himself  quite  safe.  We  held  a short  consultation;  — 
Conwell  said,  that  he  had  hidden  a bundle  of  kindlers 
in  a hole,  and  that  if  I would  keep  watch  here,  he 
would  go  and  fetch  them.  I consented,  of  course, 
and  laid  myself  down  before  the  cave,  with  bare  knife 
nnd  cocked  rifle.  Lying  in  the  snow,  however,  was 
any  thing  but  agreeable ; at  first,  when  I was  warm 
with  running,  I thought  nothing  of  it,  but  by  degrees 
I became  colder  and  colder,  till  my  teeth  chattered.  I 
could  not  venture  to  lay  aside  the  rifle  to  make  a fire, 
for  fear  the  panther  should  escape.  I managed  to  keep 
up  a little  warmth  by  running  and  jumping,  but  was 


A PANTHER  IN  A CAVE. 


331 


very  glad  when  my  old  friend  returned  and  made  a 
good  fire. 

As  soon  as  we  were  well  warmed,  we  made  torches, 
and  entered  the  cave  as  cautiously  as  possible,  each 
with  a burning  torch  in  his  left  hand,  and  a rifle 
in  the  right.  I went  first,  but  the  cave  was  soon 
roomy  enough  tp  admit  of  our  walking  upright  beside 
each  other.  Some  distance  in,  it  took  a turn  to  the 
left,  and  about  two  hundred  paces  in  advance  we  saw 
the  fiery  eyeballs  of  the  beast,  who  kept  shutting  them 
from  time  to  time.  Conwell,  taking  my  torch,  stepped 
behind  me,  while  I took  aim  and  fired.  We  heard  a 
noise  after  the  shot,  but  could  not  make  out  the  result ; 
I reloaded  as  fast  as  possible,  while  Conwell  went  in 
advance,  but  we  could  see  nothing  more  of  the  animal’s 
eyes.  We  went  on  with  cocked  rifles  on  our  left  arm. 
Moving  silently  and  cautiously  forward,  we  suddenly 
discovered  the  panther  in  a little  hollow  close  to  our 
feet,  a beautiful  but  alarming  sight,  his  ears  laid  back, 
his  teeth  gnashing  in  wild  rage,  and  his  glowing  eyes 
so  wide  open,  that  they  seemed  half  out  of  their 
sockets.  Inspired  by  one  impulse,  we  both  fired  so 
exactly  together,  that  neither  knew  that  the  other  had 
done  so.  Our  enemy  was  hit,  but  whether  mortally 
or  not  was  more  than  we  could  tell.  Dropping  our 
rifles  like  lightning,  we  drew  our  knives ; a sore  need 
we  had  of  them,  for  before  the  sound  of  the  rifles 
expired,  we  felt  the  weight  of  the  panther  upon  us. 
I drove  my  knife  into  him,  and  sprang  back;  our 
torches  were  extinguished ; it  all  passed  so  quickly, 
that  I did  not  recover  full  possession  of  my  senses, 
till  I stood  beside  my  old  friend  in  the  fresh  air  at 


332 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


the  mouth  of  the  cave.  I only  remember  that,  in  the 
impenetrable  darkness  and  thick  smoke,  I did  not 
know  which  way  to  turn,  and  that  Conwell  dragged 
me  out.  When  we  came  into  the  light  of  day,  we 
found  ourselves  covered  with  sweat  and  blood,  and  our 
clothes  all  tom. 

Conwell  complained  of  pain  in  the  breast.  Tearing 
open  his  shirt,  we  found  two  deep  gashes  from  the  left 
shoulder  to  the  pit  of  the  stomach ; I had  escaped  with 
only  a few  scratches.  We  had  neither  of  us  felt  when 
we  were  wounded,  but  before  we  troubled  ourselves 
about  it,  we  made  a fire  in  the  mouth  of  the  cave  to 
prevent  the  panther  from  coming  out;  then  washed 
and  bound  up  our  wounds,  and  sat  by  the  fire  to  con- 
sider what  was  next  to  be  done.  There  was  the  pan- 
ther in  the  cave,  whether  alive  or  dead  we  knew  not. 
At  any  rate,  he  was  badly  wounded,  for  both  our  knives, 
with  blades  nine  inches  long,  were  bloody  to  the  hilt. 
But  indeed  we  had  no  choice ; our  rifles,  and  Conwell’s 
ball-pouch,  which  the  brute  had  torn  away,  were  still  in 
the  cave. 

It  might  perhaps  have  been  possible  to  suffocate  the 
panther  with  smoke,  but  there  might  have  been 
another  opening,  and  then  we  should  have  had  our 
trouble  for  nothing.  We  soon  made  up  our  minds,  and 
entered  the  cave  again  with  fresh  torches  and  bare 
knives,  but  not  without  beating  hearts.  We  moved 
silently  and  cautiously  on,  holding  the  torches  well 
before  us,  so  as  not  to  be  so  agreeably  surprised  a 
second  time.  We  recovered  our  rifles  without  seeing 
the  enemy.  I held  both  the  torches  while  Conwell 
loaded  his  rifle,  then  gave  them  to  him  while  I loaded 


WATCHFIRE  AND  WOUNDS. 


333 


mine ; and  having  our  faithful  weapons  once  more  in 
our  hands,  we  stepped  forward  again  still  slowly  and 
silently,  but  with  lighter  hearts.  “ There  ! ” suddenly 
called  out  C.,  holding  his  torch  aloft,  and  staring 
before  him ; it  was  the  first  word  spoken  since  we  re- 
entered the  cave.  The  panther  lay  stretched  on  the 

ground ; no  longer  dangerous,  for  the  last  convulsions 

were  over.  We  skinned  him  and  cut  him  up  ; all  the 

balls  had  taken  effect,  and  both  our  knives  had  pierced 
his  body,  so  that  it  was  only  in  his  death-struggle  that 
he  sprang  upon  us.  We  took  the  skin,  although  it 
almost  looked  like  a sieve,  and  returned  to  our  fire. 

It  was  night  by  the  time  we  came  out  of  the  cave, 
and,  with  hungry  stomachs,  lay  all  four  by  the  fire ; 
for  neither  we  nor  the  dogs  had  any  fancy  to  eat  the 
panther.  Conwell  suffered  very  much  from  his  wound, 
but  towards  morning  he  fell  into  a tolerably  quiet 
sleep.  We  moved  off  with  the  first  gleam  of  day  to 
the  place  where  I had  hung  up  the  buck,  breakfasted 
there,  and  started  for  fresh  game. 

Meantime  it  had  become  warmer.  The  snow  had 
disappeared,  but  all  the  game  seemed  to  have  gone  on 
their  travels  ; for  although  we  saw  signs  enough, 
not  a shot  could  we  get.  In  the  night  we  were 
awakened  by  a thin  cold  rain,  and  having  no  mind  to 
get  wet  through,  we  jumped  up,  cut  poles  with  our 
heavy  knives,  and  spreading  my  blanket,  which  was 
the  largest,  over  them,  and  laying  ourselves  on  the 
other,  underneath  it,  after  making  up  the  fire  afresh, 
that  the  rain  might  not  put  it  out,  we  were  soon  fast 
asleep. 

Next  morning  brought  fresh  troubles,  but  no  reward. 


334 


WILD  SPOUTS  IN  THE  PAR  WEST. 


Dispirited,  we  wandered  the  whole  day  through  the 
wet  forest,  without  seeing  a turkey.  The  meat  we  had 
brought  with  us  was  getting  low,  as  we  had  not 
been  very  saving  of  it,  and  had  given  the  larger 
share  to  the  dogs  ; after  breakfast  there  was  one 
small  piece  left  for  each  to  share  with  his  dog  at 
night ; still  hoping,  we  walked  on  cautiously  and  at- 
tentively till  late  at  night,  without  seeing  even  so  much 
as  a vulture. 

On  the  morning  of  the  29th  of  January,  we  sat  by 
the  fire  with  empty  stomachs,  and  stared  sorrowfully 
at  the  crackling  flames.  At  length  Conwell  burst  out 
with  a loud  laugh,  and  asked  whether  we  were  forced 
to  remain  in  this  deserted  spot,  and  why  we  should  not 
go  home.  But  I would  not  give  it  up  yet ; to  go 
home  with  nothing  but  a panther’s  skin  full  of  holes 
was  too  bad,  and  I begged  for  one  more  day ; at  any 
rate,  if  we  found  nothing  before  twelve  o’clock,  we 
could  then  meet  at  the  camp  and  return  home.  In 
silence,  and  on  the  watch  for  the  merest  trifles,  I 
wandered  with  Bearsgrease  through  all  the  places 
where  hitherto  I had  almost  always  found  game, 
without  meeting  a sign;  and  my  hunger  was  quite 
painful.  How  I thought  of  shooting  parties  at  home, 
where  one  was  sure  of  finding  some  sort  of  a house 
every  half  hour ; here,  was  only  thick  forest,  where 
one  wet  dripping  tree  looked  exactly  like  another. 
And  yet  it  was  not  without  its  charms.  For  instance, 
every  now  and  then  you  were  entangled  by  the  thorns 
of  the  black  locust,  or  if  your  slippery  moccasins  caused 
you  to  fall,  you  might  be  sure  of  finding  some  of  them 
conveniently  placed  to  receive  you. 


OFF  AGAIN  AFTER  GAME. 


335 


I returned  to  the  camp  about  noon,  exhausted  and 
dispirited,  and  found  my  old  comrade  stretched  qui- 
etly by  the  fire.  He  said  he  had  been  waiting  for 
me  about  a couple  of  hours ; that  it  was  very  clear 
there  was  no  game  to  shoot ; and  I was  now  of  the 
same  opinion.  Heartily  sick  of  the  useless  fatigue,  we 
shouldered  the  skin  and  our  blankets,  and  left  the 
place  with  heavy  hearts  and  weary  limbs. 

It  was  long  after  dark  when  we  arrived  at  Conwell’s 
home,  and  received  the  usual  kind  welcome,  and  we 
were  heartily  laughed  at,  when,  instead  of  bringing  pro- 
visions, we  fell,  like  famished  wolves,  upon  every  thing 
eatable  that  came  in  our  way.  A long  draught  of 
fresh  milk  did  me,  above  every  thing  else,  an  immensity 
of  good. 

I would  willingly  have  enjoyed  a day’s  rest;  but 
Conwell  — who,  in  spite  of  his  deep  gashes,  which  were 
not  yet  healed,  was  as  fresh  and  strong  as  ever  after  his 
first  meal,  and  could  not  remain  quiet  under  the  circum^ 
stances  — impressed  on  me  the  necessity  of  trying  again, 
otherwise,  people  would  believe  that  we  had  lost  th6 
power  of  shooting  a deer.  So  we  were  off  again  before 
noon,  gained  the  source  of  the  Hurricane,  rode  across 
the  “ Devil’s  Stepping  Path,”  a narrow  rock  with  a 
precipice  on  each  side,  left  the  Pilot-rock  on  our  left, 
and  came  towards  evening  into  the  pine  forests,  where 
we  were  sure  of  finding  kindlers.  Descending  the 
steep  side  of  a mountain,  we  observed  a column  of  thin 
blue  smoke  by  the  side  of  a stream,  showing  that  some 
hunters  were  encamped  there.  We  went  straight  to- 
wards it,  and  found  it  to  be  an  Indian  camp,  and  our 
former  acquaintance,  young  Erskine,  among  them. 


336  WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 

They  were  Cherokees  with  three  young  Choctaws, 
these  two  tribes  being  on  good  terms.  Like  ourselves, 
they  were  out  bear-hunting,  but  had  had  better  luck. 
A quantity  of  bear  meat  was  hanging  about  the  camp, 
and  even  the  dogs  could  eat  no  more.  Casting  our- 
selves down  by  the  fire,  one  of  the  squaws  — for  there 
were  several  women  in  the  camp  — immediately  cooked 
some  bear  for  us,  with  which  we  duly  regaled  our- 
selves. 

Night  came  on,  and  soon  all  wTere  sunk  in  deep 
repose.  I was  not  inclined  to  sleep,  and  Bearsgrease, 
who  had  tired  himself  with  chasing  a gang  of  turkeys, 
which  escaped  at  last  by  flying  across  a ravine,  lay 
close  to  me,  with  his  head  on  my  left  arm.  Soon  he 
began  to  dream,  scrambling  with  his  feet  as  if  running, 
and  barking  in  a low  voice.  Watching  him  brought 
to  my  mind  a story  which  was  told  me  by  an  old  bear- 
killer,  to  the  effect,  that  if  a man  lays  his  pocket-hand- 
kerchief over  the  head  of  a dreaming  dog,  letting  it 
stay  till  the  dream  is  out,  then  lays  it  under  his  own 
head,  and  falls  asleep,  he  will  have  the  same  dream 
that  the  dog  had.  A pocket-handkerchief  was  a luxury 
I had  dispensed  with,  but  I laid  my  Scotch  cap  on  my 
dog’s  head,  under  which  he  went  on  dreaming,  and 
when  he  awoke  I laid  it  under  my  own  head,  and  was 
soon  asleep.  It  was  perhaps  owing  to  the  idea  under 
which  I fell  asleep,  although  in  general  I can  never 
dream  what  I wish,  but,  be  that  as  it  may,  I soon  found 
myself  running  desperately  after  turkeys,  and  never 
stopped,  till  I had  chased  them  into  a tree,  when  I 
stood  looking  up  at  them  without  thinking  of  shooting. 
Just  then  my  dog  gave  a loud  bark,  and  I jumped  up 


HUNTING  WITH  THE  INDIANS SKELETONS.  337 


One  of  the  Indians  had  risen  to  look  to  the  fire,  and 
Bearsgrease  thought  it  rather  suspicious.  My  beautiful 
dream  was  gone,  and  I could  no  longer  recollect  whether 
I barked  or  not.  I fell  asleep  again,  but  the  dream 
never  returned. 

Early  in  the  morning  we  began  to  move,  dividing 
into  two  parties,  for  the  better  chance  of  finding  game. 
Conwell  went  with  some  of  the  Indians,  amongst  whom 
he  had  found  an  old  acquaintance,  to  make  a circuit 
round  the  Pilot-rock,  while  Erskine  and  I,  with  three 
Cherokees,  proceeded  to*  the  sources  of  the  Frog  bayou. 

About  ten  o’clock  we  came  to  a cave,  which  seemed 
worth  examining.  We  made  torches,  there  being  plenty 
of  strips  of  pine  lying  about ; it  was  settled  that  I 
should  try  my  luck,  with  one  of  the  Indians.  Erskine 
remained  with  the  two  others  by  the  fire,  saying  he 
had  searched  so  many  caves  within  the  last  four  days 
without  finding  any  thing,  that  he  was  tired  of  it.  The 
entrance  was  rather  small,  but  it  became  gradually 
larger,  and  we  went  a long  way  in.  There  were 
evidences  of  its  having  been  tried  before,  as  we  found 
moccasin  marks,  and  pieces  of  burnt  wood.  An  un- 
expected sight  suddenly  arrested  our  progress,  — the 
skeletons  of  a man  and  of  a bear,  lying  peaceably 
within  three  feet  of  each  other.  A rifle  thickly  covered 
with  rust,  and  a corroded  knife,  lay  by  the  side  of  the 
first,  and  some  glass  beads  convinced  us  that  it  was 
the  skeleton  of  an  Indian,  who  had  bravely  attacked 
the  bear  single-handed,  and  had  fallen  in  the  struggle, 
the  skeleton  of  the  bear  proving  that  he  had  sold  his 
life  dearly. 

The  skeleton  was  perfect,  except  some  of  the  small 

29 


338 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST.  „ 


bones,  which  rats  or  snakes  might  have  carried  off.  The 
Indian  pointed  in  silence  to  the  upper  bone  of  the 
right  arm,  which  was  broken,  and  the  knife  was  lying 
on  the  left  side. 

The  sight  of  these  remains  of  a human  being,  which 
may  have  lain  there  for  years,  while  his  footsteps  were 
still  so  fresh  in  the  moist  earth,  was  deeply  affecting. 
As  I was  about  to  pass  on,  the  Indian  laid  his  hand 
on  my  arm,  and  shook  his  head,  saying,  in  broken 
English,  “The  spirit  of  the  red  man  is  in  the  cave, 
and  Wachiga  goes  no  further.”  Nothing  could  induce 
him  to  go  on  — all  my  persuasions  w^ere  fruitless ; point- 
ing to  the  bones,  he  said,  “ The  bones  of  the  red  man 
belonged  to  a great  chief ; the  bear  seeks  no  bed  where 
the  hunter  sleeps.”  As  this  last  remark  seemed  well 
founded,  and  as  the  sight  had  shaken  me  too  much 
for  me  to  go  alone,  we  turned  back  without  touching 
the  remains. 

We  found  Erskine  alone,  and  told  him  what  we  had 
seen,  but  he  did  not  seem  at  all  inclined  to  visit  the 
remains.  We  found  three  other  caves,  but  no  bear: 
Erskine  and  the  Indians  tried  the  two  first,  Erskine 
and  I the  last.  The  cave  separated  into  two  passages  ; 
Erskine  took  the  right,  I the  left,  and  as  I proceeded  I 
found  plenty  of  marks.  The  cave  was  so  small  that  I 
was  obliged  to  leave  every  thing  but  a torch  and  my 
knife ; I could  not  even  turn  myself  from  one  side  to 
the  other  to  change  my  attitude.  I had  taken  off  my 
hunting  shirt,  and  had  on  nothing  but  a cotton  shirt 
and  leggings,  and  was  working  on,  inch  by  inch,  with 
tolerable  certainty  of  finding  a bear.  The  passage  was 
quite  round,  and  in  many  places  as  smooth  as  glass 


NARROW  QUARTERS WACHIGA. 


339 


from  being  rubbed  by  wild  beasts.  In  one  place  I 
found  the  skin  of  a rattle-snake. 

At  length  I got  so  completely  jammed  in  that  I 
could  neither  move  backwards  nor  forwards.  The 
perspiration  burst  from  every  pore,  and  for  a minute 
or  two  I lay  motionless ; then  I again  exerted  all  my 
efforts  to  force  myself  backwards,  and,  to  my  indescrib- 
able satisfaction,  at  length  succeeded,  leaving,  however, 
the  greater  part  of  my  shirt  behind  me ; and  my 
delight  may  be  imagined  when  I again  inhaled  the 
fresh  air.  My  hair  stood  on  end  at  the  fearful  thought 
of  sticking  fast  in  such  a hole,  buried  alive,  and  dying 
of  hunger. 

Night  found  us  far  from  our  camp,  so  we  made  one 
for  ourselves  where  we  were.  Wachiga,  who  had  be- 
come very  pensive,  sat  smoking  his  tomahawk  and 
staling  at  the  fire.  Notwithstanding  that  he  had  been 
converted  to  Christianity,  he  had  still  some  remains  of 
the  old  superstition.  Erskine  was  in  high  good  humor, 
and  told  one  droll  story  after  another. 

On  the  next  morning,  February  1st,  we  had 
hardly  started  ere  we  heard  the  dogs.  Wachiga  de- 
clared instantly  that  they  were  his  brother’s,  and  dis- 
appeared behind  the  rocks  without  another  word.  As 
we  stood  listening,  the  sound  seemed  to  take  a different 
direction ; we  ascended  the  mountain  as  fast  as  we 
could  to  cut  off  the  chase,  but  found  that  we  must 
have  been  mistaken,  for  in-  a few  minutes  all  was 
silent  as  the  grave ; once  we  thought  we  heard  a shot, 
but  could  not  be  certain.  We  ascended  to  the  highest 
terrace  and  walked  slowly  on,  looking  out  for  fresh 
signs,  and  listening  to  catch  the  sound  of  the  dogs ; 


340 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


below,  amongst  the  broken  masses  of  rock,  they  might 
be  near  without  being  heard,  while  on  the  mountain 
tops  they  are  audible  at  a great  distance. 

It  may  have  been  about  two  in  the  afternoon,  and 
we  had  hitherto  seen  nothing,  when  Bearsgrease  raised 
his  nose  in  the  air,  remained  for  an  instant  or  two  in  a 
fixed  position,  then  giving  a short  smothered  howl, 
dashed  down  the  mountain  side.  Listening  attentively, 
we  heard  the  chase  coming  down  the  Hurricane  river. 
Erskine  called  out  triumphantly,  “We  shall  have  plenty 
of  bear  this  evening,”  and  dashed  after  the  dog.  I 
was  soon  by  his  side.  I must  observe,  by  the  way, 
that  we  were  both  very  hungry.  Presently  a bear 
broke  through  the  bushes ; a projecting  rock  stopped 
him  for  an  instant,  when  Erskine  saluted  him  with  a 
ball:  he  received  mine  as  he  rushed  past,  and  dis- 
appeared. The  dogs,  encouraged  to  greater  efforts  by 
our  shots  and  the  stronger  scent,  followed  him  out, 
Bearsgrease,  who  was  quite  fresh,  leading  the  van. 
They  soon  came  up  with  him,  and  stopped  him.  We 
rushed  to  the  spot  without  waiting  to  reload,  and 
arrived  in  time  to  see  the  beast,  excited  to  the  greatest 
fury,  kill  four  of  our  best  dogs  with  as  many  blows  of 
his  paws ; but  the  others  only  threw  themselves  on 
him  with  the  greater  animosity,  and  if  our  rifles  had 
been  loaded  we  could  not  have  used  them.  Just  as  a 
large  powerful  brown  dog  which  had  furiously  attacked 
the  bear  was  knocked  over  bleeding  and  howling, 
Erskine  called  out,  “ Oh,  save  the  dogs,”  threw  down 
his  rifle,  and  rushed  on  with  his  knife  among  the 
furious  group ; I followed  on  the  instant.  When  the 
bear  saw  us  coming,  he  exerted  still  more  force  to  beat 


OUR  FATAL  TEMERITY — - ERSIvINE’s  DEATH.  341 


off  the  dogs,  and  meet  us.  Seizing  his  opportunity, 
my  comrade  ran  his  steel  into  his  side.  The  bear 
turned  on  him  like  lightning,  and  seized  him ; he 
uttered  a shrill  piercing  shriek.  Driven  to  desperation 
by  the  sight,  I plunged  my  knife  three  times  into  the 
monster’s  body  with  all  my  force,  without  thinking  of 
jumping  back ; at  the  third  thrust  the  bear  turned 
upon  me.  Seeing  his  paw  coming,  I attempted  to  evade 
the  blow,  felt  a sharp  pang,  and  sunk  senseless  to  the 
ground. 

When  I recovered  my  senses,  Bearsgrease  was 
licking  the  blood  from  my  face.  On  attempting  to 
rise,  I felt  a severe  pain  in  my  left  side,  and  was  unable 
to  move  my  left  arm.  On  making  a fresh  effort  to 
rise,  I succeeded  in  sitting  up.  The  bear  was  close  to 
me,  and  — less  than  three  feet  from  him  lay  Erskine, 
stiff  and  cold.  I sprang  up  with  a cry  of  horror,  and 
rushed  towards  him.  It  was  too  true  ; he  was  bathed 
in  blood,  his  face  torn  to  pieces,  his  right  shoulder 
almost  wrenched  away  from  his  body,  and  five  of  the 
best  dogs  ripped  up  and  with  broken  limbs  lying  beside 
him.  The  bear  was  so  covered  with  blood  that  his 
color  was  hardly  discernible.  My  left  arm  appeared 
to  be  out  of  the  socket,  but  I could  feel  that  no  bones 
were  broken. 

The  sun  had  gone  down,  and  I had  hoped  that  the 
other  hunters  might  have  heard  our  shots  and  the 
barking  and  howling  of  the  dogs.  It  grew  dark.  No 
one  came.  I roared  and  shouted  like  mad  ; no  one 
heard  me.  I tried  to  light  a fire,  but  my  left  arm  was 
so  swelled  that  I gave  up  the  attempt.  But  as  it  would 
have  been  certain  death  to  pass  the  night  under  these, 
29* 


342 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST 


circumstances  without  a fire,  I tore  away  part  of  the 
back  of  my  hunting  shirt,  the  fore  part  being  saturated 
with  blood,  sprinkled  some  powder  on  it,  rubbed  it 
well  in,  all  with  my  right  hand,  shook  a little  powder 
into  my  rifle,  and  placing  the  muzzle  on  the  rag,  I fired, 
when  it  began  to  burn  immediately.  Blowing  it  up  to 
a flame,  I piled  on  dry  leaves,  twigs,  &c.,  and  succeeded 
in  making  a good  fire,  though  with  great  pain  and 
trouble.  It  was  now  dark.  I went  to  my  dead  com- 
rade, who  was  lying  about  five  yards  from  the  fire.  He 
was  already  stiff,  and  it  was  with  great  difficulty  that 
I could  pull  down  his  arms  and  lay  him  straight ; nor 
could  I keep  his  eyes  closed,  though  I laid  small  stones 
on  them. 

The  dogs  were  very  hungry,  but  as  it  was  impossible 
for  me  to  break  up  the  bear,  I only  ripped  him  up,  and 
fed  them  with  his  entrails.  Bearsgrease  laid  himself 
down  by  the  corpse,  looking  steadfastly  in  its  face,  and 
went  no  more  near  the  bear.  In  the  hope  of  obtaining 
help,  I loaded  and  fired  twice,  but  nothing  moved : the 
forest  appeared  one  enormous  grave. 

I felt  very  ill,  vomited  several  times,  and  my  shoulder 
was  excessively  painful.  Winding  my  blanket  round 
me  as  well  as  I could,  I laid  myself  down  beside  the 
fire,  and  lost  all  consciousness  of  my  wretched  situation  ; 
wrhether  I slept  or  fainted  is  more  than  I can  tell,  but 
I know  that  I dreamed  I was  at  home,  in  bed,  and 
my  mother  brought  me  some  tea  and  laid  her  hand  on 
my  breast ; I heard  the  children  in  the  street  making 
a noise,  and  saw  the  snow  on  the  roofs  of  the  houses, 
and  thought  it  must  be  very  cold  out  of  doors. 

Such  an  awakening  as  I had  was  worse  than  I could 


A TERRIBLE  NIGHT. 


343 


wish  to  my  bitterest  enemy.  Bearsgrease  had  pressed 
close  to  my  side,  laying  his  head  on  my  breast ; the  fire 
was  almost  out,  I was  shivering  with  cold,  and  the 
wolves  were  howling  fearfully  around  the  dead,  keeping 
at  a distance  for  fear  of  the  living,  but  by  no  means 
disposed  to  lose  their  prey.  I rose  with  difficulty,  and 
laid  more  wood  on  the  fire.  As  it  burnt  up,  the  face 
of  the  corpse  seemed  to  brighten.  I started,  but  found 
it  was  only  an  optical  delusion.  Louder  and  fiercer 
howled  the  wolves,  and  the  dogs,  of  whom  five  were 
alive  besides  Bearsgrease,  answered  them ; but  the 
answer  was  by  no  means  one  of  defiance  — rather  a 
lament  for  the  dead.  Partly  to  scare  away  the  wolves, 
partly  in  the  hope  of  finding  help,  I loaded  and  fired 
three  times;  my  delight  was  inexpressible  as  I heard 
three  shots  in  return.  I loaded  and  fired  till  all  my 
powder  was  expended.  As  morning  broke,  I heard 
two  shots  not  far  off,  and  soon  after,  a third.  A ship- 
wrecked mariner,  hanging  on  to  a single  plank,  could 
not  raise  his  voice  more  lustily  to  hail  a passing  ship, 
than  I did  then  — and,  joy  upon  joy,  I heard  a human 
voice  in  answer.  The  bark  of  the  dogs  announced  a 
stranger,  and  W achiga  advanced  out  of  the  bush.  “ W; ah ! ” 
he  exclaimed,  starting  at  the  shocking  spectacle.  He 
felt  poor  Erskine,  and  shook  his  head  mournfully.  He 
then  turned  to  me.  I showed  him  my  swollen  arm, 
which  he  examined  attentively,  withoat  speaking.  F orm- 
ing  a hollow  with  his  two  hands,  and  placing  them 
to  his  lips,  he  gave  a loud  piercing  shout.  The  an- 
swer came  from  no  great  distance,  and  in  a few 
minutes  my  dear  old  Conwell,  and  most  of  the  Indians, 
were  at  my  side.  I grasped  Conwell’s  hand  sorrow- 


344 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


fully,  and  told  him  in  few  words  how  it  had  all  happened. 
The  old  man  scolded,  and  said  it  served  us  right ; there 
was  no  great  danger  in  sticking  a knife  into  a bear’s 
paunch,  when  he  is  falling,  with  the  dogs  upon  him, 
but  if  he  has  been  thrown,  and  then  catches  sight  of 
his  greatest  enemy,  man,  he  exerts  all  his  force  to  attack 
him,  and  woe  to  him  who  comes  within  reach  of  his 
paws.  It  was  all  very  well  talking ; he  had  not  been 
present,  and  seen  one  dog  after  another  knocked  over 
never  to  rise  again ; five  minutes  more,  and  not  one 
would  have  been  saved,  and  who  knows  whether  the 
enraged  beast  would  not  have  attacked  us,  then. 

Meantime,  the  Indians  had  been  digging  a grave  with 
their  tomahawks.  Wrapping  the  body  in  a blanket, 
they  laid  him  in  it,  and  covered  him  with  earth  and 
heavy  stones.  Conwell  cut  down  some  young  stems, 
and  made  a fence  round  the  solitary  grave.  I could 
not  avoid  a shudder  at  the  quiet  coolness  of  the  whole 
proceeding,  as  the  thought  struck  me,  that  the  same 
persons,  under  the  same  circumstances,  would  have 
treated  me  in  the  same  cool  way,  had  I fallen  instead 
of  Erskine.  Like  me,  he  was  a lonely  stranger  in  a 
foreign  land,  having  left  England  some  years  before, 
and  his  friends  and  relations  will  probably  never  know 
what  has  become  of  him.  Thousands  perish  in  this 
way  in  America,  of  whom  nothing  more  is  heard,  and 
perhaps  in  a few  months  the  remembrance  of  them  has 
entirely  passed  away. 

After  the  dead  was  quietly  laid  in  the  grave,  Wachiga 
came  with  an  elderly  Indian  to  look  at  my  arm. 
Wachiga  moved  it,  while  the  other  looked  steadfastly 
in  my  face  : the  pain  was  enough  to  drive  me  mad,  but 


A PRIMITIVE  OPERATION. 


345 


I would  not  utter  a sound.  Next  the  old  Indian  took 
hold  of  my  arm,  laying  his  left  hand  on  my  shoulder, 
and  while  Wachiga  suddenly  seized  me  round  the  body 
from  behind,  the  other  pulled  with  all  his  force.  The 
pain  at  first  was  so  great  that  I almost  fainted ; but  it 
gradually  diminished ; in  spite  of  my  resolve  to  show 
no  signs  of  it,  I could  not  suppress  a shriek.  Conwell 
soon  after  asked  if  I could  ride.  On  my  answering 
“ yes,”  he  helped  me  on  a horse ; then  throwing  the 
bear’s  skin  and  some  of  the  meat  on  his  own,  we  moved 
slowly  homewards.  My  sufferings  on  the  way  were 
very  great,  but  I uttered  no  murmur.  I only  longed 
for  repose.  At  nightfall  we  had  still  four  miles  to  go. 
He  asked  me  if  I could  support  the  pain  and  fatigue, 
or  if  we  should  camp  where  we  were,  as  there  was 
plenty  of  wood  and  water.  I would  rather  have  ridden 
forty  miles,  let  alone  four,  with  the  hope  of  rest  at  the 
end  of  them.  We  arrived  in  about  an  hour.  I Was  so 
stiff  that  I could  hardly  get  off  the  horse.  On  enter- 
ing the  room  I threw  myself  on  a bed,  and  had  a violent 
fever  during  the  night,  and  talked  wildly  — fortunately 
in  German.  Towards  morning  I began  to  feel  better, 
had  a quiet  sleep,  and  woke  up  about  noon  much 
refreshed.  Meantime,  old  Conwell  had  related  all  that 
had  occurred,  and  they  attended  me  like  a son.  It 
took  two  more  days  before  I could  move  out  of  bed  and 
was  able  to  stand. 

I was  hardly  so  far  recovered  as  to  be  able  to  crawl 
about,  when  Conwell  proposed  another  hunt,  and 
although  I had  suffered  so  much,  I could  not  say  “ No.” 
On  the  6th  February  we  rode  out  again,  but  there  was 


o4G  WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 

no  longer  any  life  in  the  thing ; we  found  the  same 
Indians,  hunted  with  them  a few  days,  shot  a few  deer, 
some  turkeys,  and  a young  bear,  returning  on  the  12th, 
Conwell  with  two  deer-skins  and  some  haunches,  I with 
a turkey. 

By  this  time  my  arm  was  quite  healed.  Neverthe- 
less, I had  made  up  my  mind  to  leave  the  mountains 
and  go  southwards,  partly  from  a returning  fit  of  my 
old  love  of  change,  partly  because  I longed  for  news 
from  home,  not  having  received  any  letters  for  several 
months,  and  partly  also  because  game  had  become  so 
scarce  through  the  number  of  hunters,  that  there  was 
hardly  enough  to  subsist  on.  We  heard  that  a party 
of  twelve  men  had  been  along  the  Richland  and  killed 
or  driven  away  every  thing,  and  that  during  the  last 
three  days  not  a turkey  was  to  be  seen.  The  news  of 
game  from  other  quarters  was  no  better;  in  short 
there  was  nothing  for  it  but  off!  off!  When  I was 
once  more  surrounded  by  my  old  friend’s  amiable  fam- 
ily, and  passed  another  evening  amongst  them,  my  reso- 
lution was  indeed  shaken ; however,  during  the  night 
I gave  it  mature  consideration,  and  in  the  morning  I 
told  them  that  I should  that  day  take  my  departure. 
Attempts  were  immediately  made  to  dissuade  me  from 
it,  and  old  Conwell  asked  in  downright  earnest  if  I 
could  not  stay  with  them  always,  and  take  the  school. 
The  present  schoolmaster  was  ignorant  and  a drunkard, 
and  they  would  have  been  glad  to  be  rid  of  him.  For 
a moment,  indeed,  but  only  for  a moment,  my  fancy 
depicted  the  delights  of  a home  amongst  the  mountains, 
then  the  image  of  my  old  village  schoolmaster  flashed 


I DECLINE  TAKING  A FARM. 


347 


across  my  mind,  with  his  threadbare  black  coat,  false 
collars,  and  shirt-front,  and  his  frame  as  thin  as  a 
skeleton.  I shook  my  head  mournfully.  He  changed 
his  plan,  and  proposed  that  I should  take  a farm. 
But  that  I had  also  reflected  on : I was  too  poor,  and 
although  the  kind  people  would  have  done  every  thing 
in  their  power  to  help  me,  I should  have  been  too 
dependent;  for  although  much  is  not  required  to  set 
up  farming  in  America,  still  there  must  be  something, 
and  it  does  not  look  well  for  the  beginner  to  be  always 
borrowing  horse  or  plow,  axe,  spade,  saw  — in  short, 
every  farming  and  household  utensil,  until  at  last 
the  most  patient  man  w'ould  be  worn  out,  and  every- 
body would  be  alarmed  the  moment  they  saw  the 
borrower  coming.  I was  once  witness  of  such  a 
beginning:  a family  that  came  to  the  forest  without  any 
means,  were  at  first  most  liberally  assisted  by  their 
neighbors  ; they  helped  them  with  them  fences,  in  build- 
ing their  house,  in  clearing  and  ploughing  the  land,  and 
lent  them  every  thing,  even  to  flour  and  pork  ; but  how 
could  people  who  began  thus  ever  become  independent  ? 
It  took  years  before  they  could  procure  the  most  neces- 
sary articles  for  themselves. 

My  old  friend  acknowledged  the  truth  of  the  picture, 
and  my  journey  was  settled  for  the  morrow. 

My  store  of  bears’  fat  and  skins  was  not  so  large  but 
that  I could  pack  it  on  one  horse,  for  the  greater 
part  of  the  skins,  which  had  been  exposed  to  the  wet 
weather,  were  spoiled.  The  skins  were  made  up  into 
two  bundles,  one  on  each  side  of  the  horse,  while  a deer- 
skin sack,  containing  about  eight  gallons  of  bears’  fat, 
lay  across  the  pommel.  One  of  Conwell’s  sons,  who 


348 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  EAR  WEST. 


had  his  father’s  booty  to  dispose  of,  accompanied  me, 
and  thus  on  the  following  morning  we  set  off  for  the 
little  town  of  Ozark  on  the  Arkansas. 

I was  very  sorrowful  on  leaving  this  place,  where 
the  kind  treatment  of  these  good  people  had  so  com- 
pletely gained  my  affections,  and  I was  obliged  to  cut 
short  my  leave-taking  to  hide  my  emotions. 

Another  grief  that  weighed  heavily  on  my  heart 
was  parting  with  my  faithful  dog.  Intending  to  give 
up  shooting,  and  to  proceed  to  New  Orleans,  and  un- 
certain under  what  circumstances  I might  arrive  there, 
I would  not  willingly  expose  the  noble  creature,  who 
promised  to  turn  out  remarkably  well,  to  become  a 
mere  mud-scraper  in  the  streets.  Moreover,  my  old 
comrade  had  become  attached  to  him,  and  requested  to 
have  him,  while  my  fair  friends  promised  to  take  good 
care  of  him.  So  they  tied  him  up,  and  as  I was  about 
to  ride  off,  and  he  found  he  was  not  to  go  with  me,  he 
looked  so  entreating  and  affectionate  with  his  intelli- 
gent eyes,  that  I was  obliged  to  turn  away  to  hide  my 
tears. 

My  companion  exerted  himself  to  chase  away  my 
mournful  thoughts,  telling  all  sorts  of  droll  stories  as 
we  rode  through  the  forest ; and  at  length  I made  an 
attempt  at  least  to  appear  cheerful. 

In  the  afternoon  we  reached  a tavern,  which  was  also 
a store,  not  far  from  the  town.  Here  we  disposed  of 
our  goods,  though  to  no  great  advantage,  and,  accord- 
ing to  the  custom,  as  whiskey  was  not  sold  by  the  glass, 
we  ordered  a quart,  and  sat  down  in  a corner  to  discuss 
a portion  of  it.  We  found  here  two  other  men,  dressed 
as  hunters,  who  were  playing  cards  before  the  door, 


A RENCONTRE. 


349 


sitting  on  the  trunk  of  a tree  ; a third  leaning  against 
the  house,  was  fast  asleep  ; his  features  seemed  familiar 
to  me,  but  I could  not  recollect  where  I had  seen  him, 
till  one  of  the  card-players  caught  my  eye,  and  held 
out  his  hand,  asking  if  I did  not  remember  Bahren’s 
wretched  steel  mill  at  which  we  had  been  grinding 
together.  This  recalled  the  whole  scene  to  my  memory, 
as  well  as  the  sleeper  — I had  left  him  sleeping,  and  he 
was  still  asleep. 

As  young  Conwell  had  finished  his  business,  and 
could  not  remain  any  longer,  because  he  wished  to  stop 
at  a house  which  stood  some  miles  on  his  road  home, 
we  took  a hearty  leave  of  each  other,  when  he  mounted 
and  soon  disappeared  in  the  forest,  driving  before 
him  my  horse  and  a pack-horse  he  had  brought  with 
him. 

30 


CHAPTER  XI. 


A FATAL  BRAWL RETURN  TO  LITTLE  ROCK SUM- 
MARY JUSTICE DOWN  SOUTH. 

Drunken  brawl  at  a whiskey-shop,  and  its  lamentable  consequences 
— Little  Rock  and  its  vicinity — Shooting  at  the  “ salt  licks  ” — 
Justice  in  the  backwoods  — Summary  proceedings  against  horse- 
stealers — Curing  skins  — The  dreams  of  dogs  — Departure  for 
New  Orleans  — The  4th  of  July. 

The  two  hunters  had  finished  their  game,  and  were 
sitting  with  me  over  the  whiskey,  conversing  about  old 
times,  when  six  more  arrived,  dressed  like  ourselves 
with  leggings  and  moccasins,  armed  with  rifles  and 
knives;  they  brought  several  empty  bottles,  which 
they  caused  to  be  replenished,  and  they  all  seemed  to 
be  in  a fair  way  of  getting  drunk.  As  they  were 
rolling  about,  one  of  them  tumbled  over  the  feet  of 
the  sleeper,  who  just  mumbled  some  indistinct  words, 
and  fell  off  again.  This  seemed  to  afford  them  much 
amusement,  and  they  began  to  tickle  him  under  the 
nose  with  blades  of  grass,  laughing  immoderately  at 
the  faces  he  made.  The  two  other  young  Americans 
told  them  very  civilly  to  leave  off,  alleging  That  the 
sleeper  was  their  friend,  that  his  sleepiness  was  a dis- 
ease which  he  could  not  help,  and  begging  them  to 
leave  him  in  peace.  A scornful  burst  of  loud  laughter 
was  the  answer.  They  said  they  could  and  would  do 
as  they  chose,  and  one  of  them  had  the  goodness  to 
(350) 


WHISKEY  AND  BLOODSHED. 


351 


say,  that  he  could  eat  us  up  altogether.  My  blood 
was  already  on  the  boil.  Still  it  was  clearly  no 
business  of  mine  ; a somewhat  ruder  practical  joke  at 
length  awoke  the  sleeper,  who  was  a strong-built  man. 
He  was  still  the  butt  of  their  wit,  while  yawning  and 
stretching  his  limbs,  till  suddenly  on  looking  round 
on  the  circle,  he  seemed  to  catch  a glimmering  of 
what  had  taken  place.  His  yawning  was  checked, 
and  looking  round  attentively,  he  listened  to  their 
remarks,  when  the  greatest  braggart  amongst  them 
stepped  up  to  him,  and  laughing  in  his  face,  wished 
him  a good  morning ; in  another  instant,  he  lay 
bleeding  on  the  ground  from  a blow  of  the  sleeper’s 
fist.  This  was  the  signal  for  a general  row,  and  nine 
blades  glittered  in  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun.  My 
knife  was  out  as  quickly  as  any  of  the  others,  and  we 
had  a regular  hand-to-hand  combat ; as  long  as  I live 
I hope  never  to  see  such  another.  It  all  passed  so 
quickly,  that  I can  only  recollect  that  I defended 
myself  against  two  tall  fellows,  that  my  left  hand 
pained  me  much,  and  that  one  of  my  opponents 
uttered  a loud  cry.  At  this  instant  a shot  was  heard, 
and  one  of  the  strangers  reeled  and  fell ; it  acted  like 
an  electric  stroke  on  both  parties ; all  the  knives  were 
lowered,  and  every  one  appeared  to  be  interested  about 
the  wounded  man.  The  sleeper  lost  no  time  in 
throwing  himself  on  his  horse,  which  was  tied  up  at 
the  gate,  and  soon  vanished  in  the  forest.  All  were 
sobered  in  an  instant,  yet  no  one  thought  of  giving 
chase ; all  were  intent  on  endeavoring  to  save  the 
wounded  man.  But  in  vain ; as  the  sun  sank  behind 
a range  of  red  clouds  he  breathed  his  last. 


352 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


The  two  other  Americans  now  beckoned  to  me  to 
follow  them ; and  not  knowing  whether  the  friends 
of  the  fallen  man  might  not  avenge  themselves  in 
secret,  they  mounted,  and  one  of  them  taking  me  up 
behind  him,  we  started  at  a gallop  along  a narrow 
path  leading  into  the  interior,  following  the  distinct 
hoof-marks  of  the  fugitive’s  horse.  We  halted  at 
dark  and  made  a fire ; setting  off  again  at  daybreak, 
we  soon  arrived  at  the  burnt-out  fire  of  our  comrade, 
who  was  again  peaceably  sleeping  unconcerned  about 
any  pursuit.  Yet  he  must  have  thought  one  probable  ; 
for  a cocked  pistol  lay  by  his  side,  although  his  morbid 
drowsiness  had  got  the  better  of  his  fears. 

I gently  removed  the  pistol  for  fear  of  accident, 
and  awoke  him.  I had  hardly  touched  his  shoulder 
when  he  made  a grasp  at  the  vacant  place;  but  he 
soon  recognized  us,  and  we  made  him  understand  that 
this  was  not  the  best  place  to  sleep  in  undisturbed. 
He  admitted  that  himself ; a hasty  breakfast  was 
devoured,  and  we  took  time  to  wash  our  hands  from 
human  blood,  partly  our  own,  partly  that  of  others. 
My  left  hand,  which  I had  hastily  bound  up  the  night 
before,  began  to  be  very  painful ; I had  received  a 
thrust  through  the  palm,  and  the  sinews  were  exposed. 
Laying  wood-ashes  on  the  wound  I bandaged  it  again. 
I had  also  received  a slight  cut  on  the  left  side.  All 
the  others  were  more  or  less  hurt ; indeed,  I seemed  to 
have  come  off  the  best. 

After  breakfast,  we  left  the  path  and  struck  into 
the  forest,  by  no  means  following  my  intended  direc- 
tion to  the  south-west ; so  I took  a friendly  leave  of 
the  three  men,  turned  to  the  right,  and  soon  lost 


WOUNDED  AND  ALONE A PRIZE. 


353 


sight  of  them.  I have  never  seen  them  since,  and  do 
not  even  know  their  names,  nor  they  mine,  though 
we  fought  side  by  side,  and  fled  together.  Chance 
had  thrown  us  into  each  other’s  society,  common 
interest  had  united  us  for  a moment,  and  now  each 
vrent  his  way,  caring  neither  who  the  other  might 
be,  nor  what  his  occupation ; a true  picture  of  Amer- 
ican life. 

I was  again  alone,  and  on  foot,  and  could  only 
make  short  journeys,  as  my  hand  was  very  painful, 
and  the  wound  in  my  side,  though  not  deep,  began 
to  suppurate.  Lounging  slowly  on,  and  keeping  my 
direction  as  well  as  I could,  I followed  the  course  of 
a small  stream,  and  was  looking  out  for  a convenient 
place  to  camp  for  the  night,  when  I observed  a 
young  buck  feeding,  without  the  slightest  suspicion 
of  the  approach  of  any  being  likely  to  disturb  his 
peace.  He  passed  away  in  the  same  happy  thought, 
for  my  ball  pierced  his  brain.  On  pulling  out  my 
knife  to  break  him  up,  I could  not  avoid  a shudder 
on  observing  the  dark  stains  of  blood  — of  human 
blood.  I washed  it  carefully,  for  I could  not  bear 
the  sight. 

I did  not  take  the  trouble  to  skin  the  deer ; in  fact, 
I could  not  with  my  "wounded  hand.  So,  taking  the 
liver  and  kidneys,  with  part  of  the  back,  I made  a 
good  fire,  and  soon  lay  stretched  before  it  enveloped 
in  my  blanket,  "with  my  body,  but  not  my  mind  in 
repose. 

I lay  for  a long  time  staring  at  the  burning  embers, 
recalling  my  former  life,  and  forming  gloomy  pictures 
of  the  future ; at  last  I fell  asleep  from  fatigue.  A 
30  * 


354 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  PAR  WEST. 


penetrating  icy  feeling  awoke  me ; it  was  raining 
hard ; the  fire  was  out ; all  was  dark,  and  the  present 
was  not  calculated  to  sweeten  the  past.  I pulled  my 
wet  blanket  closer  around  me,  and  in  the  depths  of  my 
wretchedness,  abused  all  the  four  elements,  with  the 
wind  and  rain  into  the  bargain.  Day  came  at  last. 
Your  dweller  in  towns,  when  he  rises  out  of  his  warm 
bed,  and  hears  the  rain  beat  against  the  window, 
looks  down  for  a minute  or  two  on  the  people  hur- 
rying along  in  the  street,  pitying  those  who  are  driven 
out  in  such  unpleasant  weather  by  business  or  neces- 
sity ; then  turns  carelessly  to  his  breakfast,  growling 
perhaps  because  he  has  let  his  tea  or  coffee  get  cold, 
and  at  last  throws  himself  on  a sofa.  How  different 
the  case  with  the  backwoodsman  ! Unrolling  himself 
from  his  wet  blanket,  shaking  his  wet  hair,  shivering 
with  cold,  devouring  a morsel  of  cold,  wet  venison, 
not  as  a dainty,  but  to  satisfy  hunger ; then  wringing 
his  blanket,  and  laying  another  piece  of  venison  in  its 
folds,  he  hangs  it  on  lirs  back,  and  continues  his  journey 
through  the  cold,  wet  forest ; the  lock  of  his  rifle,  and 
the  inside  of  the  powder-horn,  being  the  only  dry 
things  about  the  whole  man.  How  various  the  course 
of  things  in  this  world.  The  cold  and  wet  had  in- 
flamed and  swelled  my  hand,  which  pained  me  much ; 
I cut  a long  strip  from  the  skin  of  the  deer’s  back, 
and  made  a sling  of  it  for  my  arm,  packed  my  other 
things  over  my  shoulder,  grasped  my  rifle,  and  wan- 
dered along  under  the  dripping  trees,  turning  my  back 
on  the  cold  wind  and  rain. 

As  the  day  advanced,  I became  less  dissatisfied  with 
my  fate  and  with  the  weather.  I was  indifferent  to 


RETURN  TO  SLOWTRAP’S  — * LITTLE  ROCK.  355 


both,  and  could  even  laugh  when  a bush  knocked  my 
cap  off,  and  cast  it  into  a pool,  while  the  wet  branches 
slapped  my  face.  At  length  the  rain  ceased;  a cold 
wind  arose  and  dried  my  upper  garments,  though  my 
leggings  still  flapped  disagreeably  about  my  feet.  My 
course  was  directed  towards  Little  Rock,  without  know- 
ing exactly  what  I was  to  do  there.  I was  desirous  of 
revisiting  New  Orleans,  yet  did  not  like  leaving  the 
woods ; so  I walked  on,  trusting  to  my  good  luck,  and 
leaving  the  rest  to  chance.  Fortunately,  I reached  a 
house  this  evening,  and  obtained  a good  bandage  for 
my  wound  and  a dry  couch. 

On  the  27th  February  I arrived  at  Slowtrap’s,  who 
gave  me  a hearty  welcome ; but  I only  stopped  one 
night,  and  crossed  the  river  to  Kelfer’s,  who  also  re- 
ceived me  kindly.  Still  I could  not  remain  quiet,  and 
in  a few  days  I continued  my  journey  to  Little  Rock. 

Little  Rock  is,  without  any  flattery,  one  of  the  dullest 
towns  in  the  United  States ; and  I would  not  have 
remained  two  hours  in  the  place,  if  I had  not  met  with 
some  good  friends,  who  made  me  forget  its  dreariness. 
Several  Germans  have  settled  here,  some  of  whom  are 
doing  very  well ; many  of  them  have  good  and  pros- 
perous farms  in  the  neighborhood.  The  land  above 
the  town  is  as  dry  and  barren  as  it  can  well  be ; but  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Arkansas,  and  at  a short  distance 
from  the  town,  it  is  of  the  finest  quality.  On  the  north 
of  the  town,  with  the  exception  of  the  valley  of  the 
Arkansas,  there  is  little  except  pine  woods  growing  in 
a stony  soil. 

I made  some 'excursions  in  the  neighborhood,  formed 
an  acquaintance  with  a young  American  with  a Ger- 


356 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


man  wife,  and  was  their  guest  for  some  time,  employing 
myself  in  looking  out  for  turkeys,  but  with  little  suc- 
cess ; the  mosquitoes  in  the  various  bayous  or  lagoons 
were  so  numerous  as  almost  to  drive  any  man  mad, 
who  camped  out  in  the  open  air.  I remained  for  some 
weeks,  in  spite  of  them,  but  if  I had  stayed  any  longer, 
I fear  I should  have  given  up  shooting  for  ever. 

My  hunting  shirt  was  in  rags,  and  only  held  together 
by  my  belt ; and  as  deer  skins  were  now  in  a good  state 
for  dressing,  I made  up  my  mind  to  return  to  the 
* Fourche  le  Fave,  and  shoot  at  the  salt  licks,  till  I had 
skins  enough  to  make  a good  hunting  shirt ; intending 
to  dress  the  skins  myself  for  the  purpose. 

Not  finding  any  letters,  I gave  up  the  idea  of  going 
to  New  Orleans,  and  started  for  the  Fourche  le  Fave 
towards  the  end  of  April.  I gained  my  old  shooting 
ground  on  the  second  day,  and  leaving  the  frequented 
paths,  struck  through  the  forest  to  a lick,  where  I had 
killed  several  deer  the  year  before,  and  where  I hoped 
to  find  the  platform  I had  erected,  still  in  its  place.  I 
reached  the  spot  just  before  sunset,  and  hastened  to 
collect  and  split  wood,  and  by  working  hard  I managed 
to  get  enough  before  dark ; — for  the  twilight  is  very 
short  in  this  latitude.  I then  set  to  work  on  the  stand, 
to  raise  one  side  which  had  given  way : most  of  the  earth 
remained  on  the  platform,  but  on  putting  my  shoulder 
to  it,  and  exerting  all  my  force,  I succeeded  in  raising 
it  to  its  old  position.  The  effort,  however,  had  been 
too  much  for  my  strength ; I had  tasted  nothing  since 
the  previous  evening,  having  taken  no  food  with  me ; 
nor  had  I seen  any  game  on  the  way ; the  long  march, 
the  hard  work  of  hauling  and  splitting  wood,  the  fatigue 


357 


DEER-SHOOTING  AT  THE  “SALT  LICK.” 

and  exhaustion  overpowered  me,  and  I fell  fainting  or 
at  least  senseless  to  the  ground.  How  long  I may  have 
remained  so,  I cannot  say.  TThen  I recovered  my 
senses,  it  was  quite  dark.  I got  up  to  collect  myself 
and  consider  where  I was,  when  I heard  a deer,  which 
had  got  scent  of  me,  spring,  blowing  and  snorting,  out 
of  the  lick,  and  bound  away  over  the  dry  leaves. 

I went,  in  the  first  place,  to  a running  stream,  close 
by,  and  took  a long  hearty  draught.  F eeling  considerably 
refreshed,  I made  a fire  on  the  platform,  and  sat  under- 
neath, wrapped  in  my  blanket,  patiently  awaiting  the 
approach  of  game.  In  less  than  an  hour  a young  buck 
advanced  with  light  and  cautious  tread.  I heard  him 
for  ten  minutes  on  the  dry  rustling  leaves,  before  he 
came  within  sight.  TThen  he  appeared,  he  was  about 
forty  paces  off,  so  that  I could  distinguish  the  outline 
of  his  form,  as  he  stood  still  staring  at  the  fire,  his  eyes 
shining  like  two  stars  out  of  the  dark  background. 
He  cautiously  advanced  a few  steps,  coming  nearer  the 
lick,  and  looking  almost  white  in  the  light  of  the  fire. 
I whistled  : he  stopped  and  raised  his  head ; my  ball 
passed  through  both  shoulder  blades,  and  he  died  with- 
out a cry. 

Transgressing  all  the  rides  of  the  craft,  I neither 
reloaded  nor  remained  quiet  in  my  place  to  await  a 
second  ; but  rushed  out,  dragged  him  to  the  fire,  broke 
him  up,  and  in  a very  few  minutes,  portions  of  him 
were  put  down  to  roast.  I then  reloaded,  and  kept  a 
sharp  look-out.  Probably  the  smell  of  roasting  meat 
kept  others  away ; for  though  I heard  snorting  and 
stamping,  I saw  no  more  for  the  present  — but  my 
stomach  could  not  hold  out  any  longer. 


358 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


Refreshed  and  strengthened  by  the  food,  I stirred 
the  fire  to  a bright  glow,  and,  again  on  good  terms  with 
myself  and  the  whole  world,  I sat  patient  and  watchful 
under  the  towering  flames.  Nothing  stirred  till  about 
one  in  the  morning,  when  I again  heard  a light  meas- 
ured step,  and  a doe  appeared  coming  straight  towards 
me.  She  had  not  the  slightest  suspicion  of  danger,  but 
stood  staring  at  the  fire  with  clear  shining  eyes,  hardly 
six  paces  from  the  stand.  She  was  with  young  ; still  I 
must  have  a hunting  shirt,  and  I had  raised  the  death- 
dealing tube,  when  three  more  deer  arrived  on  the 
scene,  one  of  them  a fine  buck.  They  passed  round 
the  lick,  and  then  stopped  about  ten  or  eleven  paces 
behind  the  doe,  who  never  once  moved  from  her  place. 
Turning  the  rifle  a little  aside,  I fired  at  the  buck,  who 
bounded  high  in  the  air  and  fell  dead,  the  doe  flying 
off  like  the  wind.  She  was  so  close  that  she  must  have 
been  singed  by  the  powder. 

Deathlike  stillness  again  prevailed.  I was  nodding 
a little,  but  waking  up  suddenly  and  looking  before  me, 
I saw  twro  glowing  eyes  shining  through  the  dark- 
ness, and  soon  afterwards  descried  the  whole  form  of  a 
deer.  He  came  straight  towards  me,  stood  for  a 
moment,  turned  a little  aside,  and  disappeared  after 
the  crack  of  the  rifle.  I gave  myself  no  concern  about 
him,  but  reloaded  and  wratched  for  more.  Whip-poor- 
will  had  already  begun  his  monotonous  song,  which 
regularly  resounds  through  the  woods  shortly  before 
the  first  gleam  of  day,  when  I again  heard  the  meas- 
ured tread  of  a deer  on  the  dry  leaves,  and  he  re- 
ceived my  ball  just  as  the  gray  dawn  was  appearing. 
As  it  grew  lighter  I found  him  lying  dead  on  his 


LOGWOOD  TREES  IN  ARKANSAS. 


359 


tracks.  The  third,  which  I had  fired  at,  had  left  no 
signs ; so  assuming  that  I had  missed  him,  I made  no 
attempt  to  seek  him,  but  set  to  work  to  skin  the 
others.  When  this  was  done,  I hung  them  up,  and 
proceeded  to  a farmer’s  about  two  miles  off,  with  whom 
I was  well  acquainted,  to  tell  him  to  take  the  meat ; 
and  then  went  on  some  miles  further  to  Kelfer’s,  who 
received  me  hospitably,  and  in  whose  house  I rested 
for  a few  days. 

Hearing  of  another  ^ick  which  was  said  to  be  very 
good,  I resorted  thither  the  same  evening,  and  was  soon 
ensconced  under  a hastily  prepared  platform. 

The  woods  in  Arkansas  present  a beautiful  aspect 
at  this  season  of  the  year,  when  the  logwood  trees  are 
in  bloom.  They  are  small  bush-like  trees,  seldom  more 
than  seven  inches  in  diameter,  with  a white  blossom 
of  the  size  of  a rose  ; but  the  whole  tree  is  covered  with 
them.  They  grow  in  immense  numbers,  and  give  the 
forest  the  appearance  of  a garden.  Then  the  mild 
spring  nights,  the  wailing  note  of  the  whip-poor-will, 
the  monotonous  hooting  of  the  owls,  would  make  it 
altogether  romantic,  were  the  infernal  mosquitoes  only 
away. 

I shot  two  deer  during  the  night,  took  out  their 
brains,  and  laid  them  about  half  an  inch  thick  on  a flat 
stone,  placed  it  near  the  fire,  and  kept  stirring  them, 
to  preserve  them  for  dressing  the  skins. 

Imagining  that  I had  skins  enough,  I took  them,  as 
soon  as  they  were  dry,  to  old  Slowtrap’s,  as  he  was  cele- 
brated for  understanding  the  curing  business  thoroughly. 
In  a few  days  I was  seated  in  the  well-known  chimney 
corner  opposite  my  old  friend,  who  was  the  same  as 


360 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


usual,  had  on  the  same  shabby  old  black  coat  with  the 
same  eventful  buttons  behind,  and  as  usual  he  was 
roasting  potatoes  in  the  hot  ashes.  I made  no  long 
preface,  and  next  morning  found  me  hard  at  work, 
scraping  off  the  hair  with  a knife  which  I had  prepared 
for  the  purpose.  Finding  that  I had  not  preserved  a 
sufficiency  of  brains,  I was  obliged  to  go  out  shooting 
again,  and  Hogarth,  who  lived  near,  was  willing  to  ac- 
company me  for  a few  days. 

Just  as  we  were  about  to  ^ start  on  the  following 
morning,  five  horsemen  drew  up  before  the  door. 
They  dismounted,  and  Hogarth  asked  them  to  break- 
fast, though  we  had  just  finished.  After  breakfast,  as 
they  saw  that  we  were  ready  to  start,  one  of  them 
asked  us  not  to  go  shooting  to-day,  but  to  go  with 
them,  as  they  were  on  their  way  to  execute  an  act  of 
justice.  The  case  was  this:  Some  time  since  had 

settled  on  the  banks  of  the  little  river,  a set  of  men  who 
were  found  to  be  rather  too  fond  of  horseflesh,  without 
inquiring  particularly  to  whom  the  horses  belonged. 
They  lived  scattered  over  a district  of  about  twenty 
miles  in  circumference,  and  almost  conclusive  proofs  of 
horse-stealing  were  brought  against  two  of  these  people, 
though  the  evidence  was  not  strong  enough  for  proceed- 
ings against  them  in  a court  of  justice,  where  they  could 
have  an  advocate,  a being  for  whom  all  backwoodsmen 
entertain  a profound  respect.  Therefore  to  make  short 
work  of  the  matter,  they  had  decided  on  taking  the  law 
into  their  own  hands.  A man  of  the  name  of  Brogan 
and  my  poor  Curly  were  the  two  victims. 

Hogarth  was  ready  at  once.  I resolved  to  go  as  a 
spectator,  fully  resolved  to  take  no  part  in  the  pro- 


SUMMARY  JUDICIAL  PROCEEDINGS. 


361 


ceedings.  "We  were  soon  off,  and  overtook  the  poor 
fellows,  bound,  and  led  between  two  horses.  Curly  was 
very  dejected;  Brogan  looked  savage  and  desperate. 
When  we  arrived  at  the  rendezvous,  we  found  a much 
more  numerous  assembly  than  we  had  expected,  there 
being  about  sixty  persons  present.  The  jury  was 
chosen,  witnesses  were  brought  forward,  sworn,  and 
questioned,  and  all  the  proceedings  were  carried  on 
according  to  the  regular  forms  of  a court  of  justice.  It 
came  out  that  Brogan  had  been  absent  for  some  time 
during  the  preceding  year  — that  the  two  horses  in 
question  had  been  seen  in  the  neighborhood  of  these 
two  men,  in  a certain  place  where  the  forest  was  very 
thick  — and  that  Brogan  was  always  hanging  about 
there.  Later,  Curly  had  made  use  of  one  of  these  horses, 
and  then  sold  him ; the  proofs  were  convincing  enough, 
yet  they  both  steadfastly  denied  all  the  facts. 

Two  men  now  stripped  Curly  of  his  upper  garments, 
tied  him  up  to  a tree,  and  began  to  belabor  his  back 
with  hickory  sticks.  Curly  had  sense  enough  to  see 
that  if  his  head  remained  obstinate,  his  back  would 
have  to  pay  the  score ; so  he  offered  to  confess.  He 
was  instantly  cast  loose,  and  the  register  of  his  sins 
was  soon  unfolded.  He  stated  that  he  himself  had 
never  stolen  any  horse,  but  had  acted  as  receiver,  or  as 
he  said,  had  been  good-natured  towards  the  thieves. 
When  the  last  horse  was  to  be  stolen,  four  of  them 
had  been  present,  and  it  was  agreed  that  he  was  to  be 
carried  off  and  sold.  But  as  one  of  them  must  first 
steal  him,  it  was  left  to  sportsman’s  luck  to  decide. 
He,  who  by  a certain  day,  had  shot  fewest  deer,  should 
undertake  the  risk  of  stealing  the  horse.  Curly  had 
31 


362 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


killed  four,  by  the  day  named,  the  other  two  had  shot 
two  each,  Brogan  only  one.  He  concluded  by  giving 
the  names  of  all  the  horse-stealers,  twenty-six  in  num- 
ber, and  well-known  names,  having  the  modesty  to 
leave  out  his  own. 

Brogan,  who  had  listened  to  it  all  with  a contemp- 
tuous smile,  was  now  questioned ; all  attempts  to  make 
him  confess  were  in  vain ; he  denied  having  had  any 
share  in  the  crime,  and  was  tied  up  to  a tree  and 
dreadfully  beaten.  It  was  a horrible  sight.  At  first 
he  gave  vent  to  volleys  of  oaths  and  abuse ; then  he  was 
silent  for  a long  time,  and  bore  the  severe  blows  with 
wonderful  firmness  ; at  length  he  gave  a deep  groan, 
and  called  out,  “ Oh,  my  poor  wife  and  children.” 

Two  negroes  now  made  their  appearance  with  spades 
and  dug  a grave ; they  were  followed  by  a white  man 
with  a cord  in  his  left  hand,  and  a piece  of  tallow,  with 
which  he  kept  greasing  the  cord  in  his  right,  looking 
as  unconcerned  as  possible  all  the  time,  though  he 
knew  it  was  intended  to  hang  the  poor  wretch.  This 
seemed  rather  too  severe,  and  several  of  us  now  stepped 
forward,  and  persuaded  those  who  seemed  most  open  to 
pity,  that  if  they  had  resolved  to  hang  the  man,  they 
ought  not  first  to  have  lacerated  him  so  dreadfully: 
this  seemed  evident  to  the  others,  so  it  was  put  to  the 
vote,  and  his  life  was  spared  on  condition  that  he  left 
the  country  within  four  weeks,  and  never  returned  to 
it  again.  He  made  no  promise,  and  as  he  was  cast  off, 
he  fell  senseless  on  the  grass. 

I had  seen  quite  enough.  Hogarth  and  I trotted 
off  to  the  mountains  to  think  seriously  about  our 


CALLS  FOR  ATTRACTING  DEER. 


363 


shooting ; my  comrade  was  very  pensive ; I heard 
afterwards  that  there  were  good  reasons  for  it,  as  no 
slight  suspicions  rested  on  him. 

As  the  weather  was  warm  and  pleasant,  we  resolved 
.to  look  for  bees  as  well  as  deer;  for  we  had  each  a 
great  longing  for  honey.  We  placed  the  bait  in  the 
empty  shell  of  a tortoise,  and  separated  in  chase  of  deer. 
Hogarth  had  a call  with  'him  and  attempted  to  attract 
the  does  by  imitating  the  cry  of  their  fawns ; a most 
disgraceful  practice,  which  is  too  often  indulged  in. 
This  practice  is  most  abominable,  on  two  accounts: 
first,  because  it  is  base  and  cruel  to  lure  the  mother  to 
her  destruction  by  imitating  the  cry  of  her  young; 
secondly,  because  it  so  rapidly  exterminates  all  the 
game,  by  killing  off  the  does,  and  leaving  the  fawns  to 
perish  with  hunger,  when  they  are  too  young  to  find 
their  own  nourishment.  Although  I scorned  to  adopt 
such  a vile  practice,  I shot  a two-year-old  buck,  while 
Hogarth  shot  nothing. 

At  nightfall,  the  winds  seemed  to  break  loose  from 
all  the  thirty-two  points  of  the  compass  at  once,  to 
blow  down  all  the  old  fir-trees  in  the  forest ; towards 
midnight  the  storm  subsided,  and  changed  into  such 
heavy  rain  that  I was  obliged  to  cut  a channel  with 
my  knife  round  our  blanket  tent  to  carry  off  the 
water. 

On  the  next  morning  Slowtrap  joined  us  with  his 
own  and  Hogarth’s  dogs,  as  he  wanted  to  find  a bear 
which  was  paying  rather  too  much  attention  to  his  pigs. 
The  dogs  soon  found  the  trail,  and  after  a pretty  fight, 
Slowtrap  knocked  him  over  with  his  rifle  ball,  just  as 


364 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


I was  near  getting  the  worst  of  it  by  being  too  for- 
ward with  my  knife.  We  found  bees  the  same 
evening. 

The  sun  had  just  set,  when  gaining  the  crest  of  a hill, 
I caught  sight  of  a young  deer  quietly  feeding.  I 
raised  the  rifle,  and  was  in  the  act  of  pressing  the 
trigger,  when  I saw  the  antlers  of  a very  large  buck, 
who  was  walking  slowly  past  the  other,  unsuspicious  of 
harm.  I had  often  heard  old  hunters  talk  of  the  buck 
fever,  but  could  never  form  a just  idea  of  the  meaning 
of  it;  at  this  moment,  however,  I felt  its  full  effects. 
My  anxiety  to  shoot  the  buck  was  so  great,  that  I 
trembled  in  every  limb,  and  could  not  steady  the  rifle. 
At  length  the  deer  discovered  me,  and  raised  his  noble 
head.  I knew  that  the  decisive  moment  was  come, 
and,  although  the  sight  of  the  rifle  quivered  over  his 
whole  form,  I pulled  the  trigger.  He  gave  a bound  and 
disappeared : I found  some  blood  where  he  had  been 
standing,  but  the  color  was  not  very  satisfactory,  and 
I followed  the  trail  in  vain  ; he  had  escaped  with  a 
slight  wound. 

I returned  to  the  camp  out  of  humor;  — and  with 
reason,  — I had  lost  three  pair  of  good  moccasins  by 
my  bad  shot,  and  was  almost  barefoot.  Hogarth  and 
Slowtrap  had  killed  a few  deer,  and  saved  the  brains 
for  me,  and  I thought  I had  now  enough  for  my  skins. 
Next  day  we  went  after  bees,  and  found  two  trees, 
one  of  which  we  cut  down  — on  which  occasion  I got 
dreadfully  stung. 

I now  thought  it  time  to  return  to  my  work,  and 
was  tired  of  going  about  in  shirt  sleeves.  I took  the 


INDIAN  JIETHOD  OF  DRESSING  SKINS.  365 


brains  which  Hogarth  and  Slowtrap  had  given  me, 
with  what  I had  myself  collected,  returned  to  Slow- 
trap’s,  and  set  to  work  in  earnest  with  my  skins.  For 
the  benefit  of  those  who  may  be  interested  in  the  sub- 
ject, I will  describe  the  Indian  method  of  dressing 
skins.  They  are  laid  in  water  to  soak  for  a whole 
night ; next  morning  they  are  taken  out,  placed  on  a 
smooth  board,  and  the  hair  scraped  off.  This  done, 
the  brains  are  mixed  with  an  equal  quantity  of  water 
in  an  iron  pot,  and  rubbed  well  into  the  skins,  one 
brain  being  generally  enough  for  one  skin ; the  brains 
having  previously  been  put  in  a coarse  linen  bag, 
boiled  for  an  hour,  and  then  left  to  cool.  As  soon  as  cool 
enough  for  the  hand  to  bear  it,  they  are  rubbed  through 
the  bag,  giving  the  water  a milky  color,  and  leaving 
only  the  fibrous  parts  in  the  bag.  The  skins  are  put 
into  the  pot,  and  well  kneaded,  so  that  they  may  be 
thoroughly  saturated  with  the  mixture ; then  taken 
out,  well  wrung,  and  hung  up  to  dry.  Before  this,  they 
must  be  well  rubbed  and  pulled  across  a sharp  board 
till  they  are  dry,  as  white  as  snow,  and  as  soft  a3 
velvet.  Yet  if  they  get  wet  they  become  as  hard  as  a 
stone  ; to  prevent  this,  all  the  glutinous  substance  must 
be  destroyed  by  smoke.  Therefore  two  of  them  are 
sown  together  in  a bag,  a hole  is  made  in  the  ground, 
about  sixteen  inches  deep  and  about  eight  inches  wide, 
in  which  a fire  is  lighted.  As  soon  as  it  is  in  a bright 
glow,  rotten  wood  is  laid  on  to  make  a thick  smoke, 
and  the  skins  are  placed  over  it,  mouth  downwards, 
till  they  are  so  thoroughly  penetrated  by  it,  that  they 
begin  to  turn  brown  on  the  outside.  They  are  then 
31* 


366 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


turned  inside  out,  and  the  process  repeated;  when 
finished,  neither  water  nor  sun  will  hurt  them  more, 
and  their  color  is  a yellowish-brown. 

As  soon  as  my  skins  were  all  properly  dressed,  I 
went  to  an  old  backwoodsman  of  the  name  of  Wallis, 
whose  wife  cut  out  a hunting-shirt  for  me,  in  which 
she  used  the  best  part  of  five  skins,  and  showed  me 
how  to  sew  them.  After  three  days  of  industrious 
tailoring,  I succeeded  in  producing  the  perfection 
of  a hunting-shirt.  I now  cut  out  a pair  of  new 
moccasins  from  the  skin  of  an  old  deer,  that  I had 
dressed  with  the  others;  took  some  of  the  bark  of 
the  black  walnut  tree,  with  a little  green  vitriol, 
and  gave  my  new  dress  the  proper  forest  tint,  — and 
I was  once  more  fitted  out  in  the  regular  garb  of  a 
backwoodsman. 

Wallis  had  been  a great  deal  amongst  the  Indians, 
and  had  adopted  many  of  their  manners  and  customs. 
He  was  the  best  white  hunter  I ever  met  with,  and 
never  failed  in  discovering  bees,  if  once  he  came  on 
their  traces.  He  had  been  for  a long  time  in  Texas,  and 
extraordinary  stories  were  related  of  him  during  his 
absence ; at  last,  news  came  that  he  was  dead.  His 
wife,  in  course  of  time,  became  acquainted  with  another 
man,  who  succeeded  in  gaining  her  good  graces,  and 
so  she  married  him.  One  evening,  about  a year  after 
her  second  marriage,  a horseman,  dressed  as  an  Indian, 
stopped  before  the  door,  dismounted,  and  tied  up 
his  horse.  He  entered  the  house,  and  the  woman 
recognized,  with  delight  and  astonishment,  the  husband 
she  had  mourned  as  dead.  At  the  same  moment, 
fihe  other  returned  from  shooting,  with  the  dogs,  which 


A MATRIMONIAL  DIFFICULTY. 


367 


joyfully  bounded  about  their  old  master,  and  he  was 
not  a little  perplexed  at  meeting  the  lawful  owner  of 
the  property ; but  Wallis  was  a reasonable  man,  and 
told  his  wife  very  gravely,  that  she  was  at  liberty  to 
take  her  choice  between  the  two,  provided  he  might 
have  the  children,  two  fine  boys,  and  that  he  would 
give  her  till  the  morrow  to  decide : so  saying,  he 
shouldered  his  rifle,  mounted  his  horse,  and  trotted 
off  to  the  forest,  where  he  made  his  fire,  and  camped 
for  the  night. 

Next  day,  after  finishing  his  breakfast,  he  saddled 
his  horse,  and  rode  back  to  the  house,  to  learn  how  his 
wife  had  decided ; he  found  his  representative  on  the 
point  of  departure,  who  openly  acknowledged  that 
Wallis  had  the  prior  rights,  that  he  should  be  very 
sorry  to  be  a cause  of  discord,  excused  himself  for  the 
accident,  begging  him  not  to  take  it  amiss,  and  ended 
by  offering  his  hand,  which  the  other  accepted.  He 
then  rode  off  to  the  West,  to  seek  another  wife  with 
better  luck  next  time.  The  long  separated  pair  lived 
together  afterwards  as  happily  and  contentedly  as  if 
nothing  had  happened ; it  was  not  necessary  for  him 
to  excuse  himself  for  not  writing,  as  he  had  never 
learned  the  art,  and,  even  if  he  had  sent  her  a letter, 
she  would  have  been  in  the  same  difficulty  as  to 
reading  it. 

I had  long  conversations  with  him  about  shooting, 
and  he  lamented  very  much  the  decrease  of  game, 
which,  as  he  said,  had  become  very  sensible  for  some 
years  at  the  Fourche  le  Fave,  formerly  the  best  hunting 
ground  in  Arkansas.  Among  other  things  we  talked 
of  the  dreams  of  dogs.  When  I told  him  what  I had 


368 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


heard,  and  what  I had  experienced  myself,  he  con- 
firmed it,  assuring  me  that  he  had  tried  it  with  the 
dog  which  was  then  lying  at  his  feet.  He  said : “ I 
was  stretched  before  the  fire  one  evening,  and  could 
not  sleep.  The  dog  was  lying  by  me  fatigued  with 
his  day’s  work,  for  we  had  been  out  the  whole  day ; 
he  had  been  for  some  time  snoring  lightly,  and  now 
began  to  scramble  with  his  feet,  and  to  whine  and 
bark  in  a low  tone  ; a sure  sign  that  he  was  dreaming. 
I had  heard  from  my  father,  when  I was  a child,  that 
any  one  might  have  the  same  dream  as  a dog,  if  they 
can  catch  it  in  a handkerchief ; so  I spread  my  neck- 
cloth over  the  dog’s  head,  and  waited  in  patience  till 
he  woke.  At  length  when  he  left  off  barking,  and 
raised  his  head  to  shake  off  the  unaccustomed  covering, 
I took  the  cloth,  folded  it  up,  and  laying  it  under  my 
head,  I was  soon  asleep  ; I dreamed  that  I was  run- 
ning* after  a rabbit,  with  most  inexplicable  rage,  fol- 
lowing it  through  the  thickest  thorn  bushes,  and  as  at 
last  it  escaped  into  a hole,  I thrust  my  head  into  it, 
and  barked,  and  tried  to  scrape  away  the  earth  to  get 
it  out.  I have  tried  it  several  times  since,  and  always 
with  the  same  effect.”  Without  being  superstitious, 
I determined  to  take  the  next  opportunity  of  repeating 
the  experiment. 

My  hunting-shirt  being  finished,  I took  a kind  leave 
of  the  old  hunter  and  his  family,  and  returned  to  Slow- 
trap’s,  with  whom  I remained  only  a few  days,  not- 
withstanding his  pressing  invitation  to  pass  the  summer 
there,  and  then  proceeded  to  Kelfer’s.  From  hence  I 
revisited  the  salt  licks,  repaired  the  scaffold,  collected 
kindlers,  and  passed  twelve  nights  successively  under 


BUCK  SHOOTING — -LETTERS  AT  LITTLE  ROCK.  3G9 


the  fire,  until  the  mosquitoes,  and  other  insects  almost 
carried  me  off  piecemeal ; yet  without  getting  a single 
shot.  I never  could  imagine  what  had  driven  the  game 
all  away ; perhaps  it  was  too  late  in  the  season  ; I only 
know  that  I lay  on  the  look-out  many  long,  long  nights, 
listening  for  the  tread  of  a deer,  watched  the  moon 
rise,  follow  her  appointed  course,  and  set  behind  the 
trees ; hearkened  patiently  to  the  hootings  of  the  owls, 
and  the  complaint  of  whip-poor-will,  and  left  the  place 
each  succeeding  morning,  without  seeing  a single  head 
of  game,  to  seek  some  cool  spot  to  sleep  in,  and  await 
the  coming  night.  At  last,  my  provisions  being  ex- 
hausted, I was  forced  to  return  to  Ivelfer’s  for  a fresh 
supply.  While  there  I decided  on  giving  up  the  fire, 
and  trying  daylight  again,  when  I succeeded  in  killing 
a few  fine  deer.  One  of  them  was  the  largest  I ever 
shot.  I was  going  along  a mountain-side,  and  had  just 
fired  at  and  missed  a young  buck  that  was  standing 
behind  a fallen  tree,  with  nothing  but  his  head  visible, 
when,  just  as  I had  reloaded,  this  splendid  fellow 
showed  himself  above  me,  at  about  fifteen  paces  dis- 
tance. My  ball  knocked  him  over,  and  I never  saw 
fatter  venison. 

After  some  time,  news  arrived  from  Little  Rock,  to 
say  that  letters  were  awaiting  me  there.  I was  soon 
ready  to  start,  intending  if  their  contents  were  favor- 
able, to  embark  for  the  south.  My  few  things  were 
easily  packed  up,  and  I now  took  a warm  farewell  of 
Kelfer  and  his  amiable  family,  from  whom  it  grieved 
me  to  j)art.  I had  lived  in  his  house  like  one  of  his 
relations,  and  had  never  been  treated  as  a stranger ; 
and  if  I ever  had  found  a home  in  America,  it  would 


370 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  PAR  WEST. 


have  been  with  him ; there  was  only  one  point  on 
which  we  disagreed;  I was  passionately  fond  of  field 
sports,  and  he  often  severely  blamed  my  useless  loiter- 
ing about  in  the  woods,  seriously  representing  to  me 
that  I could  not  go  on  so  for  ever,  and  that  I should  be 
forced,  sooner  or  later,  to  settle  somewhere,  and  become 
a useful  and  reasonable  member  of  society.  I saw 
clearly  enough,  on  such  occasions,  that  he  was  right,  and 
was  often  inclined  to  accept  the  brotherly  offers  which 
he  made,  and  to  hang  up  the  rifle,  and  take  to  the  axe  ; 
but  I had  become  too  fond  of  the  wild  unsteady  life  ; 
besides,  a burning  desire  to  revisit  my  native  land  pre- 
vented me,  and  my  love  of  change  was  now  stronger 
than  any  other  feeling ; I took  up  my  rifle,  threw  my 
luggage  over  my  shoulder,  shook  hands  all  round,  and 
followed  the  course  of  the  Fourche  le  Fave  on  my  way 
to  Little  Eock. 

Op  arriving  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  I was  unde** 
cided  whether  I should  continue  my  course  by  land  or 
water.  Unluckily,  however,  I found  good  shooting- 
ground  there ; so,  throwing  my  bundle  under  a tree,  I 
formed  a hut  of  loose  bark,  and  began  shooting  again 
to  my  heart’s  content. 

The  end  of  June  came.  My  provisions  had  latterly 
much  diminished,  as  I had  shot  nothing  for  several 
days,  and  as  the  meat  was  soon  spoilt  by  the  heat 
unless  it  was  well  dried,  I began  to  get  tired  of 
sport,  and  resolved  to  shoot  only  one  more  deer  for 
provision,  then  go  to  Little  Eock,  take  up  my  letters, 
and  come  to  some  decision  as  to  my  future  course. 

The  intention  of  shooting  one  more  deer  seemed  this 
time  to  be  easier  conceived  than  executed,  and  I lived 


CANOE  VOYAGE  DOWN  THE  ARKANSAS.  371 


for  two  days  on  whortleberries,  a fruit  which  by  no 
means  suited  my  stomach.  It  happened  one  morning 
when  I came  again  on  the  banks  of  the  F ourche  le  F ave, 
I saw  a canoe  jammed  amongst  some  drift-wood,  which 
had  stuck  fast  in  the  river.  This  suited  my  purpose 
exactly ; so,  without  further  consideration,  I swam  off 
and  secured  it,  took  it  up  to  my  camp,  threw  in  all  my 
havings  and  gatherings,  and  gained  the  river  Arkansas 
the  same  afternoon. 

Gliding  smoothly  along  near  the  bank,  I observed 
numerous  signs  of  deer  in  several  places.  I landed  at 
one  of  them,  where  the  ground  was  all  trodden  down 
by  their  feet,  and  where  there  was  only  one  narrow 
rocky  path,  by  which  they  could  descend  to  drink  the 
brackish  water,  that  of  the  Arkansas  containing  a con- 
siderable portion  of  salt.  My  plan  was  soon  formed. 
I was  not  only  excessively  hungry  myself,  but  I had 
some  friends  in  Little  Rock,  to  whom  a nice  piece  of 
venison  would  be  a treat ; so,  taking  my  tomahawk,  I 
soon  erected  a small  scaffolding  over  the  canoe,  which 
was  all  the  more  easily  accomplished  as  it  had  been 
made  to  serve  this  purpose  before,  holes  having  been 
bored  below  the  gunwales  to  receive  the  poles.  Cover- 
ing it  with  twigs  and  some  inches  of  earth,  I collected 
kindlers  from  the  neighboring  hills,  and  patiently 
awaited  the  approaching  night.  As  soon  as  it  was  dark 
I lighted  my  fire,  then  leant  back,  giving  the  reins  to  my 
fancy  and  gazing  on  the  beautiful  starry  sky.  After  a 
time,  raising  myself  silently  and  looking  towards  the 
place  where  I expected  the  deer,  I saw  a glowing  eye 
just  above  the  water,  and  another  reflected  from  its  sur- 
face ; it  was  a deer,  which  had  descended  without  the 


372 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


least  noise,  and  was  eagerly  drinking  the  brackish  water, 
about  twenty  paces  from  the  canoe.  I raised  the  rifle 
slowly,  took  a careful  aim  and  fired ; loud  sounded  the 
report  over  the  water’s  surface,  returning  in  repeated 
echoes  from  the  hills,  and  then  all  was  as  quiet  and 
silent  as  the  grave.  Taking  a brand  from  the  fire,  I 
found  a yearling  buck  lying  dead  at  a short  distance 
from  the  spot  where  he  had  been  drinking.  After 
breaking  him  up,  I cut  off  no  small  portion  to  roast, 
my  hunger  being  truly  painful ; when  this  was  satisfied 
I threw  him  into  the  canoe,  cast  off  from  the  bank, 
rolled  myself  in  my  blanket,  and,  floating  softly  down 
the  stream  in  the  stillness  of  night,  I arrived  at  Little 
Rock  in  good  condition  on  the  following  morning. 

I found  a letter  from  Germany,  and  another  from 
Kean  in  Louisiana,  from  whom  I had  not  heard  for  a 
long  time ; he  requested  me  to  come  to  him,  telling  me 
I might  easily  find  employment  with  a good  salary. 
The  steamer  “ Arkansas  ” arrived  the  next  day  from 
Fort  Smith,  and  notice  was  given  that  on  the  morning 
of  the  5th  July  she  would  start  for  New  Orleans.  My 
arrangements  were  soon  made,  and  not  having  much 
packing  to  plague  me,  I passed  the  intervening  days 
very  happily  in  the  society  of  my  friends. 

The  4th  of  July  was  to  be  celebrated  as  usual  in 
Little  Rock  by  a grand  barbecue,  or  banquet,  at  the 
public  expense.  I went  to  the  appointed  place  out  of 
curiosity,  and  found  a dozen  black  cooks,  busily  pre- 
paring for  the  grand  affair.  Two  trenches,  about  two 
yards  long  and  four  wide,  were  dug  in  a garden  near 
the  town,  the  bottom  of  each  was  filled  with  red-hot 
charcoal,  the  supply  being  kept  up  from  a large  fire 


CELEBRATION  OP  THE  FOURTH  OF  JULY.  373 


near  at  hand.  Pieces  of  wood  were  laid  across  the 
trenches,  and  on  the  wood  immense  quantities  of  meat ; 
two  halves  of  an  ox,  a number  of  pigs,  calves,  deer, 
bears,  sheep,  &c.,  were  roasting  and  stewing,  while 
people  with  bottles  or  jugs  full  of  whiskey  went  about 
offering  it  to  all  present.  The  meat  itself  was  not 
particularly  inviting,  everybody  going  up  and  cutting 
off  what  he  wanted,  and  holding  it  in  his  hand  to  eat, 
some  standing,  some  walking  to  and  fro.  At  a camp-fire 
this  is  all  very  well,  but  such  a multitude  with  greasy 
hands  and  mouths  is  not  attractive. 

I did  not  remain  long,  but  returned  to  the  town, 
sleeping  at  the  house  of  a German  settler ; and  on  the 
following  morning  proceeded  on  board  the  boat,  which 
contrary  to  the  usual  custom,  was  punctual  to  her  time 
and  went  off  blustering  down  the  river. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


LOUISIANA-— NEW  ORLEANS,  AND  HOME. 

Bayou  Sara  — German  settlers  — Jews— -Pointe  Couple  — My  en- 
gagement at  the  hotel  — Levies,  or  dams,  on  the  banks  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi — Slave  auction  — Treatment  of  the  slaves  — Guinea  ne- 
groes — Alligator  shooting — Flesh  of  the  alligator,  and  prejudices 
against  it  — Habits  of  the  alligator  — Scenes  on  the  Mississippi  — 
New  Orleans ; variety  of  its  inhabitants  — Coffee-houses  — The 
“ Olbers”  clears  for  Bremen  — The  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  — . 
My  fellow-passengers  — Sharks  — Sickness  and  death  on  board  — 
The  English  channel  — Bremerhafen  — Quarantine  — The  Lii- 
becker  and  his  unruly  American  wife — Fumigation — Arrival 
at  home. 

We  entered  the  Mississippi  the  second  day,  and  soon 
left  the  State  of  Arkansas  far  behind  us.  Of  all  I had 
seen  in  America  it  was  the  one  which  pleased  me  most ; 
I may  perhaps  never  see  it  again,  but  I shall  never 
forget  the  happy  days  I passed  there,  where  many  a 
true  heart  beats  under  a coarse  frock  or  leather  hunting- 
shirt. 

The  boat  went  flying  past  the  green  banks,  and  on 
the  third  night,  she  set  me  ashore  at  Bayou  Sara,  in 
Louisiana.  It  may  have  been  about  one  o’clock  when 
I landed  with  my  baggage.  The  little  boat  which 
brought  me  from  the  steamer  pushed  off,  flying  back  to 
the  smoking  Colossus.  The  pilot  gave  the  signal  to  go 
ahead,  and,  smoking  and  clattering,  she  soon  vanished 
from  my  sight. 

All  was  dark  in  the  town,  not  a single  light  to  be 
( 374  ) 


MOSQUITOES MEETING  WITH  KEAN. 


375 


seen.  Being  quite  a stranger  in  the  place,  I rolled 
myself  in  my  blanket  and  lay  down  on  the  bank  of  the 
river.  The  night  was  warm  and  pleasant,  but  repose 
was  out  of  the  question.  Millions  of  mosquitoes  were 
swarming  furiously  around,  and  only  left  me  in  peace 
when  I pulled  the  blanket  over  my  head ; but  as  that 
excluded  air,  and  I removed  it  to  breathe,  it  was  a 
signal  for  all  the  swarm  to  fall  upon  me  with  renewed 
fury. 

At  length  the  first  negro  bell  was  heard  from  the 
opposite  shore,  for  the  negroes  to  turn  out ; soon  after- 
wards a gleam  was  visible  in  the  east.  My  tormentors 
now  attacked  me  like  mad,  and  it  appeared  as  if  all  the 
mosquitoes  in  Louisiana  had  assembled  with  the  inten- 
tion of  sucking  me  dry,  so  as  to  preserve  me  as  a 
specimen:  I jumped  up,  and  ran  about  to  baffle  the 
attempt. 

Day  came  at  last,  and  with  it  some  houses  were 
opened  ; amongst  others  a German  coffee-house.  Leav- 
ing my  baggage  there  I strolled  about  the  place.  After 
lounging  about  for  an  hour,  I thought  it  was  late 
enough  to  find  out  Kean,  who  was  clerk  in  a merchant’s 
house ; I soon  found  him,  Bayou  Sara  not  being  very 
large,  and  met  with  a kind  reception. 

In  the  first  place  I had  to  change  my  costume ; 
hunting-shirts  and  leggings  are  excellent  things  in  the 
forest,  but  not  so  well  adapted  to  a town,  nor  to  the 
hot  sun  of  Louisiana.  Summer  articles  were  not  dear, 
a number  of  German  Jews  having  settled  in  the  place, 
underselling  each  other ; for  a few  dollars  I obtained  a 
very  respectable  suit. 

Most  of  the  houses  of  Bayou  Sara  are  built  of  wood, 


376  WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 

only  three  or  four  being  of  brick.  It  may  contain 
about  800  inhabitants,  among  whom  are  several  Ger- 
mans, who  are  carpenters,  tailors,  shoemakers,  sugar- 
bakers,  coffee-house  keepers,  and  a large  number  of. 
German  Jews,  who  by  their  low  prices  have  managed 
to  get  the  trade  in  ready-made  clothes  completely  into 
their  own  hands.  German  shoemakers  mustered  very 
strong ; and  here  I was  again  struck  with  a peculiarity 
which  I have  remarked  among  all  the  German  shoe- 
makers in  America,  namely  the  rage  they  have  for  sell- 
ing gingerbread  and  sugar-plums,  as  well  as  boots  and 
shoes. 

In  the  United  States  as  a matter  of  course,  every 
person  is  free  to  buy  and  sell  whatever  he  chooses. 
Therefore  all  sorts  of  wares  are  to  be  found  at  all  the 
stores.  In  the  smaller  towns,  apothecaries  generally 
combine  a trade  in  calicoes  and  hardware  with  that  of 
drugs  ; and  when  a German  shoemaker  opens  his  shop, 
you  are  sure  to  see  some  glasses  with  parti-colored 
sugar-plums,  and  pieces  of  gingerbread  in  the  little 
window,  while  boots  and  shoes  are  dangling  on  pack- 
thread above  them.  This  was  not  only  the  case  in 
Bayou  Sara,  and  St.  Francisville,  a town  of  the  same 
size  on  a hill  about  a quarter  of  a mile  behind  Bayou 
Sara,  but  in  all  the  smaller  towns  in  the  United  States 
which  I had  visited,  and  even  in  some  parts  of  the 
large  town  of  Cincinnati.  It  is  at  all  events  a strange 
medley. 

I passed  my  time  very  agreeably  in  the  society  of 
Kean,  whose  employers  were  good  kind  people,  until  I 
obtained  a remunerative  occupation  in  Pointe  Coupee, 
a large  French  settlement  extending  twenty  miles  along 


THE  HOTEL  AT  POINTE  COUPEE. 


377 


the  opposite  or  western  bank  of  the  Mississippi ; this 
office  consisted  in  the  management  of  the  hotel  formerly 
kept  by  Rutkin,  and  which  he  had  sold  before  his  de- 
parture ; the  purchaser,  however,  was  weak  and  in  bad 
health,  and  had  been  mostly  confined  to  his  bed,  leaving 
the  hotel  to  the  management  of  another,  who  was 
driving  every  thing  to  wreck  and  ruin.  The  purchaser’s 
brother  seeing  that  it  would  never  do  to  leave  it  in 
such  hands,  placed  me  in  the  situation  on  Kean’s  recom- 
mendation. Although  my  present  sphere  of  action  was 
very  different  from  any  thing  to  which  I had  hitherto 
been  accustomed,  I soon,  gained  an  insight  into  the 
business,  and  went  on  very  well,  as  I was  perfectly  in- 
dependent, acting  on  all  occasions  as  I thought  best : 
and  I can  fairly  say  that  I soon  brought  things  into 
better  order. 

Generally  speaking,  living  in  Pointe  Coupee  was 
much  more  agreeaple  than  in  Bayou  Sara,  as  my  prin- 
cipal dealings  were  with  the  opulent  planters  of  the 
vicinity,  amongst  whom  were  some  very  pleasant 
people ; there  was  also  an  Irish  advocate  living  in  the 
hotel,  who  had  a very  extensive  practice,  and  we  con- 
ceived a mutual  friendship  for  each  other : I shall 
always  look  back  with  hearty  pleasure  to  my  acquaint- 
ance with  Mr.  Beattie. 

The  little  town  of  the  settlement,  lying  rather  higher 
up  the  stream  on  the  opposite  side  to  Bayou  Sara,  con- 
sists of  the  town-hall,  the  jail,  the  Roman  Catholic 
church,  the  priest’s  house,  and  the  hotel. 

As  the  land  beyond  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi, 
particularly  in  Louisiana,  is  lower  than  the  river,  when 
the  latter  is  very  full  the  settlers  have  been  obliged  to 
32*  % 


378 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


throw  up  a dam  — levee,  as  it  is  called  — which  is  gener- 
ally  from  four  to  five  feet  high,  but  in  some  places  from 
eighteen  to  twenty.  It  costs  immense  sums  to  keep 
this  in  repair,  as  the  river  constantly  undermines  it, 
and  carries  off  large  masses  in  its  wild  muddy  waters  ; 
moreover,  it  is  incumbent  on  those  dwelling  immediately 
on  the  banks  to  supply  the  means,  while  those  living 
further  from  the  river,  whose  property  is  more  liable  to 
damage,  do  not  contribute  any  thing  towards  the  dam ; 
but  last  year  there  was  a discussion  on  the  subject,  and 
it  is  probable  that  the  system  will  be  changed. 

The  principal  productions  of  Pointe  Coupee  are 
cotton,  Indian  Corn,  and  sugar-cane.  The  gardens  are 
filled  with  oranges,  figs,  peaches,  and  pomegranates, 
with  quantities  of  all  the  most  beautiful  flowers.  One 
great  plague  of  the  planters,  in  some  parts  of  the  settle- 
ment, for  it  does  not  extend  everywhere,  is  the  coco- 
grass, somewhat  similar  to  our  couch-grass.  The  foots 
extend  from  twelve  to  fifteen  feet  in  the  ground,  as 
may  be  seen  when  the  river  tears  away  a part  of  the 
bank.  Where  it  has  once  taken  hold,  it  is  very  difficult 
to  extirpate  ; it  grows  so  fast  that,  when  cut  down  at 
night,  it  is  again  about  an  inch  high  in  the  morning. 
It  is  not  very  good  for  cattle,  though  pigs  are  extremely 
fond  of  the  pods,  which  have  a strong  smell  and  taste  of 
camphor. 

Most  of  the  planters  are  French  Creoles  ; but  as 
several  Americans  live  here  also,  the  law  proceedings 
are  carried  on  both  in  French  and  English.  The 
jailer  is  a poor  wretched  German  shoemaker,  and  any 
prisoner  that  has  a mind  gives  him  a cudgelling,  and 


SLAVES  AND  THEIR  CONDITION. 


379 


takes  his  leave.  Several  cases  of  the  kind  occurred 
last  year. 

The  system  of  slavery  makes  a very  disagreeable 
impression  upon  those  who  are  unaccustomed  to  it ; 
and  although  I had  long  dwelt  in  slave  States,  and 
witnessed  the  oppressed  condition  and  ill-treatment  of 
the  poor  blacks,  yet  the  horrors  of  the  system  were 
never  so  evident  as  when  I first  attended  an  auction, 
where  slaves  were  sold  like  cattle  to  the  highest  bidder, 
and  the  poor  creatures  stood  trembling,  following  the 
bidders  with  anxious  eyes,  in  order  to  judge  in  advance 
whether  they  were  to  belong  to  a kind  or  severe 
master.  It  does  not  happen  so  often  now  as  formerly 
that  families  are  separated,  at  least  mothers  and 
children,  so  long  as  the  latter  are  very  young.  In 
large  auctions,  the  law  has  the  humanity  to  decree 
that  families  are  only  to  be  sold  together ; but  indi- 
viduals are  often  sold,  and  then  the  most  sacred  ties 
are  torn  asunder  for  the  sake  of  a few  hundred  dollars. 

I have  witnessed  most  heart-breaking  scenes  on  such 
occasions.  At  the  same  time,  I must  admit  that  the 
treatment  of  slaves  is  generally  better  than  it  is  repre- 
sented by  the  Abolitionists  and  missionaries.  It  is  to 
the  advantage  of  the  owner  to  keep  his  slaves  healthy 
and  fit  for  work,  and  not  to  overtax  their  strength,  as 
he  is  bound  to  support  them  in  their  old  age.  Their 
food  generally  is  not  worse  than  that  of  the  poor  man  in 
other  lands.  Though  there  are  instances  of  rich  planters 
treating  their  slaves  most  shamefully,  there  are  others 
where  they  are  treated  as  part  of  the  family.  In  our 
hotel,  we  had  a cook,  chambermaid,  and  porter,  all 
slaves,  who  never  had  occasion  to  complain  of  ill-treat- 


380  WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 

ment.  A negro,  or  descendant  of  a negro,  is  not 
allowed  to  quit  the  place  of  his  abode  without  a pass 
from  his  master,  while  the  free  negro  must  always 
have  his  papers  about  him.  If  a slave  is  found  without 
a pass,  he  is  imprisoned  until  his  master  claims  him, 
and  pays  the  expenses.  Fugitive  slaves  frequently  take 
refuge  in  the  forests ; and  I remember  how,  in  Ten- 
nessee, large  parties  used  to  go  out  to  surround  them,  and 
recover  possession  of  them.  Although  the  law  speaks 
in  strong  language  against  the  importation  of  fresh 
negroes,  yet  I saw  several  slaves  who  had  been  brought 
over  from  Africa,  and  who  were  called  Guinea  negroes, 
to  distinguish  them  from  those  born  in  America.  The 
education  of  the  poor  blacks  is  strictly  forbidden,  for 
fear  they  should  write  their  own  passes,  and  thus 
escape.  They  are  kept  for  use  and  increase  like  do- 
mestic animals ; and  yet  these  United  States  have  thil 
sentence  in  their  declaration  of  independence : “ that 
all  men  are  free  and  equal ! ” 

In  the  towns  the  Methodist  preachers  have  driven 
what  little  understanding  nature  has  given  them,  out 
of  the  poor  blacks’  heads,  teaching  them  to  jump  and 
shout,  to  thank  God  for  being  afflicted,  and  to  kiss  the 
rod  that  chastises  them.  They  kiss  it,  indeed,  but 
leave  the  marks  of  their  teeth  behind ; and  when  they 
dare  not  openly  oppose  the  tyranny  of  the  whites,  they 
do  so  in  secret,  and  many  of  the  hated  race  fall  by  the 
hand  of  the  oppressed.  Examples  of  this  kind  are  fre- 
quent ; and  although  the  punishment  which  the  negro 
has  to  expect  for  raising  his  hand  against  a white  is 
appalling,  it  does  not  prevent  the  deed,  but  only  makes 
the  doer  more  cautious. 


SNIPE-SHOOTING VEGETATION  OF  LOUISIANA.  381 


My  present  occupation  did  not  allow  much  time  for 
amusement,  though  now  and  then  I got  some  duck- 
shooting in  winter,  when  the  ducks  come  in  myriads 
from  the  north  to  this  milder  climate,  where  ice  is  very 
seldom  seen  on  the  lakes  and  standing  pools,  and  snow 
was  not  seen  during  the  whole  winter.  Snipe-shooting 
commenced  early  in  spring,  and  I followed  it  up  with 
great  eagerness.  It  is  a very  different  affair  here  from 
what  it  is  in  Europe  ; you  go  out  in  the  evening,  and 
shoot  them  by  torchlight,  when,  of  course,  you  must  have 
a very  small  charge,  as  they  approach  within  ten  yards, 
often  within  five  or  six.  The  negro,  who  is  not  allowed 
to  carry  a gun  without  permission  from  his  master, 
goes  out  with  a torch,  and  a small  bushy  bough  of  a 
tree,  to  knock  them  down.  There  are  two  sorts,  both 
smaller  than  ours,  and  they  occur  in  such  numbers,  that 
in  two  hours  I have  often  killed  from  eighteen  to  twenty. 
During  the  day  they  remain  among  the  thick  reeds 
and  in  the  marshes,  and  in  the  evening  flock  to  the 
meadows  and  cotton  fields.  They  are  delicate  eating, 
and  more  tender  than  the  European  variety.  As  the 
weather  gets  hotter,  they  fly  off  to  the  north. 

The  spring  in  Louisiana  is  enchantingly  beautiful. 
All  the  grasses  and  flowers  springing  out  of  the  ground, 
all  the  buds  and  blossoms  on  the  trees,  fill  the  beholder 
with  rapture : the  gray  silvery-haired  moss  dangling 
from  the  trees,  giving  them  such  a mournful  appear- 
ance in  winter,  now  added  to  the  beauty  of  the  scene ; 
assuming  a more  lively  color  itself,  it  looked  a trans- 
parent silvery  veil  thrown  over  the  blossoms  and  fresh 
green  of  the  leaves.  The  long  slender  cypresses  shone 
to  the  greatest  advantage  under  such  a veil.  All  sorts 


382 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


of  birds  are  now  to  be  seen ; among  them  numbers 
of  the  mocking-bird,  sometimes  called  the  American 
nightingale,  warble  sweetly,  especially  at  night. 

As  usual  in  all  the  plantations  in  Louisiana,  several 
China-trees  stood  before  my  house,  for  shade  as  well 
as  for  ornament.  One  of  them  was  an  old  patriarch, 
whose  branches  spread  far  and  wide,  and  which  had 
been  used  as  a summer-house  by  the  former  proprietor, 
who  had  had  a flight  of  stairs  built  up  to  it,  and  fixed 
a round  table,  with  several  seats.  In  this  tree  my 
hammock  was  slung  between  two  branches,  with  a 
mosquito  net  spread  over  it ; — for  these  amiable  little 
creatures  were  again  beginning  their  wicked  tricks ; 
and  I slept  in  the  warm  night  wind,  among  the 
blossoms  of  the  tree,  which  have  something  of  the 
perfume  of  the  heliotrope,  surrounded  by  fire-flies, 
lulled  by  the  notes  of  the  mocking-bird,  and  by  the 
rushing  sound  of  the  mighty  Mississippi,  flowing  about 
twenty  paces  from  the  tree. 

The  heat  in  May,  especially  in  the  middle  of  the 
day,  was  oppressive ; but  when  the  other  whites  had 
retired  to  take  their  siesta,  I went  with  my  rifle  and 
harpoon  to  the  swamps,  at  a short  distance  from  the 
river,  to  shoot  alligators,  which  are  to  be  found  in 
incredible  numbers,  in  the  warm  standing  pools.  What 
dreadful  statements  have  been  written  about  the  for- 
midable nature  of  these  animals,  and  their  fierce 
attacks  on  man  ! I have  always  found  them  gentle, 
harmless  creatures,  and  was  very  active  in  shooting 
them.  However,  as  I lost  those  I had  shot,  by  their 
swimming  a little  way  and  then  sinking,  I took  a 
harpoon  with  a twenty-feet  line,  and,  going  up  to  the 


SHOOTING  ALLIGATORS  BY  TORCHLIGHT.  383 


waist  in  water,  I placed  myself  under  one  of  the  many 
cypresses  standing  in  the  swamps,  and  awaited  their 
approach,  as  they  swam  about  slowly  in  the  glowing 
mid-day  heat,  or  sunned  themselves  on  the  bank.  If 
one  came  within  twelve  or  fifteen  yards,  I was  sure  of 
him.  The  best  sport  was  when  he  was  a great  power- 
ful fellow,  and  I pulled  one  way  as  he  pulled  the  other. 
But  as  standing  in  the  terrible  heat  of  the  sun  did 
not  suit  me,  I resolved  to  try  torchlight,  particularly  as 
many  of  the  Creoles  told  me  that  no  one  had  ever 
attempted  to  shoot  them  by  the  light  of  a fire,  it 
being  supposed  that  the  alligator  was  bolder  and  more 
dangerous  at  night.  So,  on  the  next  evening,  I went  to 
the  place  with  rifle,  fire-pan,  harpoon,  and  kindlers. 
The  sight  from  the  banks  of  the  swamp  was  enchant- 
ing, and  made  me  endure  even  mosquito  bites  with 
patience.  The  dark  surface  of  the  water,  the  immense 
cypresses  standing  in  it,  their  moss  waving  in  the  night 
wind,  the  dark  surrounding  forest,  the  hooting  of  the 
owls,  the  melancholy  croak  of  the  bull-frog,  I had  long 
been  accustomed  to ; but  all  in  the  water  was  wild 
commotion,  and,  when  holding  the  flame  behind  me, 
the  shadow  of  my  head  was  cast  upon  the  flood, 
hundreds  of  glowing  eyes  shone  from  all  "parts  of  it 
like  balls  of  red-hot  iron.  As  I had  only  one  hand 
free,  I could  not  hold  the  rifle  and  harpoon  at  the 
same  time;  so  I fired  at  the  head  of  the  nearest, 
dropped  the  rifle,  seized  the  harpoon,  darted  it  into 
the  animal  at  the  distance  of  six  or  seven  yards,  and 
drew  it  by  the  line  to  the  bank.  I had  secured  two 
in  this  way,  when  I saw  a pair  of  larger  eyes  coming 
straight  towards  me;  I fired  as  before,  and  darted 


384 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


the  harpoon  into  the  wounded  animal,  as  he  turned 
and  showed  the  white  of  his  belly.  At  the  instant  of 
darting  the  harpoon,  I was  standing  close  to  the  edge 
of  the  water,  with  the  end  of  the  line  fastened  to  my 
right  wrist.  The  alligator  had  hardly  felt  the  barbed 
iron,  when  he  darted  off  and  dived,  jerking  me  into 
the  water  before  I had  time  to  hold  back.  The  pan 
fell  out  of  my  hand,  and  the  fire  was  extinguished  with 
a loud  hiss.  The  line  was  too  securely  fastened  for  me 
to  free  myself,  and  I was  twice  dragged  under  water 
before  I felt  firm  bottom,  when,  holding  back  with  all 
my  might,  I succeeded  in  stopping  him,  he  being  some- 
what exhausted  by  his  exertions  and  loss  of  blood*, 
then  pulling  slowly  and  cautiously  towards  the  bank, 
gradually  increasing  the  strain,  he  collected  his  remain- 
ing strength,  and  darted  off,  dragging  me  head  under 
again ; but  the  water  was  not  more  than  four  feet 
deep,  and  this  time  I had  less  trouble  in  hauling  the 
weakened  animal  to  the  shore. 

Wet  through  and  through,  and  in  total  darkness,  I 
had  fortunately  left  my  matches,  with  the  split  wood, 
at  the  foot  of  a tree.  I groped  for  and  found  my  pan, 
and  in  a few  minutes  another  bright  flame  rose  flicker- 
ing to  the  sky.  The  large  alligator  was  about  ten  feet 
long,  and  I could  make  no  use  of  him ; for  although  the 
planters  use  the  fat  for  their  cotton  machinery,  for 
which  it  is  well  adapted,  it  was  too  old  to  be  eatable  ; 
the  two  first  caught  were  three  and  four  feet  long ; I 
cut  off  their  tails,  and  carried  them  home  to  eat. 

Very  few  of  the  Creoles,  or  even  the  negroes,  will  eat 
the  flesh  of  the  alligator,  partly  because  they  feel  dis- 
gust at  it,  and  partly  because  they  fancy  it  to  be 


alligators’  antipathy  to  pogs. 


385 


poisonous  ; but  I found  it  excellent,  and  never  experi- 
enced any  bad  consequences.  It  is  white  and  firm,  and 
looks  and  tastes  like  fish,  but  the  tail  must  be  cut  off 
immediately,  and  the  back-bone  taken  out,  or  it  acquires 
the  musty  smell  peculiar  to  these  animals. 

After  this,  I always  took  a companion  with  me,  and 
when  one  had  fired,  the  other  harpooned,  which  made 
the  work  easier.  However  fearful  the  alligators  may 
be  of  white  men,  it  is  extraordinary  how  furiously  they 
will  attack  negroes  and  dogs,  particularly  the  latter.  I 
was  standing  one  afternoon,  harpoon  in  hand,  up  to  the 
waist  in  water,  and  although  plenty  of  alligators  were 
swimming  about,  none  of  them  would  come  close 
enough,  when,  acting  on  the  impulse  of  the  moment,  I 
attempted  to  attract  them  by  imitating  the  bark  of  a 
dog  ; — fifteen  or  sixteen  big  fellows  came  straight 
towards  me,  as  soon  as  they  heard  it ! This  was  too 
much  of  a good  tiling : standing  so  deep  in  water,  I was 
hardly  master  of  my  movements,  and  began  to  step  out 
as  fast  as  possible  for  the  shore,  about  a hundred  feet 
distant ; I then  recommenced  my  bark,  but  as  I was 
fully  exposed  to  view,  they  were  afraid  of  coming  close, 
though  they  kept  swimming  round  at  a respectable  dis- 
tance. 

The  predominant  religion  in  Louisiana  is  the  Roman 
Catholic,  with  this  difference  in  the  arrangements,  that 
the  priest  is  chosen  by  the  congregation,  and  the  bishop 
has  nothing  to  say  in  the  matter.  Some  time  since, 
the  people  had  dismissed  their  priest,  being  dissatisfied 
with  him ; but,  as  he  had  been  invested  by  the  bishop, 
he  maintained  that  the  bishop  alone  could  remove  him, 
and  taking  Mr.  Beattie  for  his  advocate,  he  indicted 
33 


386  WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  PAR  WEST. 

his  flock.  Mr.  Beattie  gained  his  cause  at  the  half- 
yearly  sessions,  but  the  parish  appealed  to  the  court  of 
the  United  States  at  New  Orleans.  The  priest  re- 
paired thither,  took  a new  advocate,  and  obtained  the 
following  sentence:  “That  the  citizens  of  Pointe 
Coupee  might  dismiss  their  priest,  if  they  were  dis- 
satisfied with  him,  and  that  neither  bishop  nor  pope 
could  issue  commands  in  the  United  States.” 

It  was  about  the  end  of  June,  when  I made  up  my 
mind  to  return  to  Germany.  Kean  had  been  for  some 
time  in  New  Orleans,  engaged  in  commission  business, 
and  I began  to  feel  lonely  in  Pointe  Coupee.  I there- 
fore arranged  my  affairs,  and  prevailed  on  a brother  of 
the  proprietor,  who  had  formerly  been  in  partnership 
with  him,  to  undertake  the  management,  now  that  all 
was  in  good  order ; then,  taking  a kind  leave  of  all  my 
good  friends,  I left  Pointe  Coupee  on  the  oth  of  July — 
the  same  day  that  I had  left  Little  Rock  the  year  before. 

I embarked  on  board  the  Steamer  “ Eclipse  ” for  New 
Orleans,  and  dashed  down  the  swollen  stream  with  the 
speed  of  an  arrow.  The  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  in 
the  lower  part  of  Louisiana,  offer  a most  beautiful 
panorama  of  towns  and  plantations,  to  the  eyes  of  the 
passenger  flying  past  in  a steamer ; the  country-seats 
of  the  planters  make  a splendid  appearance  through  the 
orange  and  pomegranate  trees,  with  the  rows  of  white 
cottages  for  the  slaves,  like  so  many  villages,'  besides 
large  cotton  fields  and  sugar  plantations,  with  gangs 
of  negroes  at  work,  under  the  inspection  of  a white 
on  horseback;  troops  of  mustangs,  or  ponies,  gallop- 
ing with  flowing  manes  and  tails,  small  schooners, 
and  so-called  chicken  thieves  dashing  with  swelling 


NEW  ORLEANS. 


387 


tails  along  the  shores,  give  the  whole  an  animated 
aspect.  At  present,  however,  it  did  not  look  every- 
where so  agreeable  ; the  river  had  risen  considerably, 
and  in  many  places  broken  through  the  levee,  laving 
a number  of  cotton  fields  and  sugar  plantations  under 
water,  and  giving  the  landscape  a wild  and  desolate 
look. 

On  the  following  morning,  about  nine  o’clock,  we 
approached  the  emporium  of  the  south,  and  a multitude 
of  boats,  barges,  schooners,  brigs,  and  even  ships  lying 
above  the  town,  gave  evidence  of  the  busy  turmoil  of 
an  immense  commercial  place.  We  had  about  forty 
head  of  oxen  on  board,  which  had  been  brought  from 
St.  Louis,  to  be  landed  at  Lafayette,  a suburb  of  New 
Orleans.  The  steamer  was  stopped  near  the  shore,  and 
the  oxen  and  cows  bundled  overboard  to  swim  to  land. 
This  done,  the  engine  was  set  going,  and  passing 
shipping  of  all  sorts  and  nations,  we  landed  about  ten 
o’clock,  among  about  sixty  other  steamers,  on  the  levee 
of  New  Orleans. 

I found  Kean  immediately,  and  accompanied  him  to 
the  hotel  where  he  lodged,  left  my  things  there,  and 
lounged  about  the  town  with  him,  talking  of  bygone 
times.  The  heat  was  oppressive,  and  we  were  soon 
obliged  to  take  shelter  in  the  house  to  escape  the  scorch- 
ing rays  of  the  sun.  In  the  evening  we  drove  to 
Lafayette,  where  several  Bremen  vessels  were  lying,  to 
have  a look  at  them,  and  inquire  their  times  of  depar- 
ture. We  found  two  bound  for  Bremen,  but  the  time 
of  departure  uncertain,  and  I saw  that  I should  have 
to  remain  some  time  in  New  Orleans. 

The  town  had  increased  very  much  since  my  former 


388 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


visit,  and  was  improved  in  its  appearance.  It  extends 
above  seven  miles  along  the  bank  of  the  river,  where  it 
is  interesting  to  observe  all  sorts  of  shipping,  steamers 
and)  sailing  vessels  arriving  or  departing  every  hour 
of  the  day.  In  other  respects  the  town  offers  nothing 
noticeable  beyond  straight  handsome  streets,  with  large 
clean  looking  houses,  and  tastefully  ornamented  shops. 
It  is  still  more  interesting  to  obs’erve  the  people,  who 
throng  the  streets  in  all,  even  the  hottest,  hours  of  the 
day,  where  every  shade  between  white  and  black  is  to 
be  seen.  The  spot  most  attractive  to  me  was  the  lower 
market,  close  to  the  levee,  where  every  kind  of  article 
to  be  found  in  America  was  for  sale.  The  fruit  stalls 
looked  especially  inviting,  and  so  did  the  fish-stalls,  where 
great  varieties  of  fish  were  to  be  seen.  In  the  midst  of 
all  the  bustle  and  crowding,  there  are  quiet  retreats, 
where  a brilliant  and  colossal  coffee  machine  stands 
always  on  a table,  surrounded  by  chairs,  cups,  and  plates 
filled  writh  every  kind  of  bread  and  cake  are  at  hand ; a 
pretty  looking  girl  performs  the  part  of  Hebe.  At  all 
hours  of  the  day  and  night,  hot  coffee,  and  in  many  of 
these  places  tea  and  chocolate,  are  always  ready ; and 
almost  every  night,  when  I could  not  prevail  on  myself 
to  retire  to  the  hot,  close  room  without  a breath  of  air,  I 
have  walked  about  the  ever  thronged  streets,  and  drank 
coffee,  until  fatigue  drove  me  to  bed.  At  daybreak'  I 
was  in  the  market  again,  among  the  crowds  of  Amer- 
icans, French,  Creoles,  English,  Germans,  Spaniards, 
Italians,  Negroes,  Mulattoes,  Mestizoes,  Indians,  &c.  &c., 
and  returned  to  breakfast,  at  which  I drank,  Creole 
fashion,  red  wine  iced,  instead  of  coffee,  and  then  went 
to  bed  for  a few  hours.  Kean  joined  me  whenever  his 


THE  “OLBER3”  FOR  BREMEN. 


389 


business  would  permit ; and  many  an  hour  passed  in 
agreeable  conversation. 

At  length,  after  a space  of  three  weeks,  the  “ Olbers  ” 
was  cleared,  and  ready  to  start.  My  effects  were  em- 
barked, leave  taken  of  all  my  friends,  a most  hearty 
one  of  Kean,  whom  I loved  as  a brother,  and  who 
had  always  behaved  like  one,  and  at  ten  at  night  the 
steamer  “ Porpoise  ” made  herself  fast  alongside,  having 
besides  a French  brig,  three  schooners  in  tow,  and 
we  started  like  a small  fleet  down  the  dark  stream. 
We  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  about  noon 
the  next  day,  and  anchored.  In  all  directions  thin 
green  reeds  were  growing  out  of  the  water,  giving  only 
a representation  of  land,  the  yellow  river  flowing 
through  them,  and  not  a foot  of  solid  ground  anywhere 
visible.  The  Mississippi  is  here  a river  but  without 
any  banks,  though  looking  as  if  still  enclosed  in  its 
bed.  To  my  great  astonishment,  houses  were  seen 
above  this  waste  of  reeds  and  water,  with  living  beings 
moving  about  them.  As  the  pilot  said  that  we  must 
wait  till  tomorrow  for  broad  daylight  and  the  flood 
tide,  to  cross  the  bar,  and  we  had  nothing  to  do  this 
afternoon,  the  captain  took  two  other  passengers  and 
myself  to  the  row  of  houses,  to  see  if  we  could  get 
oysters,  or  any  thing  else  eatable.  After  half  an  hour’s 
sharp  rowing,  we  reached  a platform  resting  on  piles. 
A more  uninviting  place  to  live  in,  I never  saw.  The 
water  flows  under  the  houses  of  this  outpost  of  American 
felicity,  leaving  at  low-water  a loose  slimy  mud,  which 
would  engulf  any  one  attempting  to  tread  on  it,  and  which 
swarms  with  creeping  things  innumerable.  I recollect 
an  American  saying  that  Louisiana  was  not  fit  for  the 
33* 


390 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


abode  of  man,  but  only  for  mosquitoes,  bullfrogs,  and 
alligators,  and  certainly  here  there  seemed  to  be  reason 
in  his  words,  for  how  a human  being  could  be  induced 
to  settle  in  such  a place  is  still  a mystery  to  me.  The 
inhabitants  catch  oysters  at  no  great  distance  from 
their  houses,  sell  some  of  them  to  the  ships,  and  carry 
the  rest  in  their  boats  to  New  Orleans,  to  exchange 
them  for  provisions  and  necessaries  for  their  families, 
yes,  families , — for  women  and  children  were  there  too. 
When  we  arrived,  there  was  not  an  oyster  left  in  the 
place,  nor  any  thing  else  eatable  to  be  had,  and  they 
told  us  that  they  were  anxiously  looking  out  for  a boat 
with  provisions.  A glass  of  brandy  adulterated  with 
a little  vitriol  was  all  that  we  procured,  and  we  returned 
on  board,  rejoicing  to  escape  the  frantic  mosquitoes  of 
the  little  settlement. 

At  nine  the  next  morning  we  weighed  anchor,  and 
the  “ Porpoise,”  which,  meantime,  had  taken  some 
smaller  vessels  over  the  bar,  now  took  us  in  tow,  and 
with  some  trouble,  dragged  us  over,  the  keel  scraping 
occasionally.  She  carried  us  several  miles  out  into  the 
gulf,  and  then  left  us  to  make  our  way  alone  as  well  as 
wre  could,  which,  as  there  was  very  little  wind,  was 
slow  work  enough ; and  at  length  we  were  quite 
becalmed. 

My  fellow-passengers  were,  a Hamburgh  merchant, 
an  American  landholder,  who  possessed  thousands  of 
acres  in  Texas,  which  he  wished  to  dispose  of,  (I  never 
knew  any  one  from  Texas,  who  did  not  possess  at  least 
ten  thousand  acres  of  good  land ;)  and  a citizen  of  Lubeck, 
who  had  married  in  America,  and  who  was  taking  his 
wife  and  his  two  children  to  live  in  his  native  country. 


THE  GULP  OP  MEXICO FEVER* 


391 


July  25th,  during  a perfect  calm,  I jumped  over- 
board to  bathe  in  the  crystal  waters.  A more  de- 
lightful feeling  is  hardly  to  be  described  than  that  of 
diving,  swimming,  splashing  in  the  warm  waters  of  the 
gulf ; it  almost  seemed  impossible  to  sink,  the  body 
being  so  buoyant  in  the  salt  water.  I felt  a longing 
desire  to  become  a dolphin  in  the  transmigration  of 
souls,  and  to  settle  in  the  gulf  of  Mexico.  I remained 
in  the  water  till  I was  quite  tired,  and  was  obliged  to 
lie  down.  Moreover,  sea  bathing  never  agreed  with 
me,  and  on  the  morrow  I felt  rather  unwell.  In  New 
Orleans  I was  not  quite  right,  but  would  not  take  any 
medicine  ; now  I thought  it  was  time  to  do  so,  and 
swallowed  a dose  of  tartar  emetic  I had  had  the  pre- 
caution to  bring  with  me,  mixing  in  it  a glass  of 
Madeira.  The  dose  was  rather  strong,  and  its  effect 
excessive  ; yet  I was  better  after  it. 

On  the  28th  and  29  th  July,  two  sharks  were  caught, 
and  eaten  ; but  I could  not  join  in  the  feast,  for  I was 
now  really  ill  with  a fever,  and  sharp  pains  in  the 
chest,  and  every  movement  was  attended  with  great 
suffering.  There  was  also  cause  for  disquietude,  in  five 
sailors  being  taken  ill,  and  their  disease  assuming  an 
extraordinary  character. 

One  evening  as  I was  lying  shaded  from  the  moon- 
beams, I heard  the  mate  talking  with  the  American 
passenger,  who  was  also  unwell,  and  he  told  him,  in  a 
friendly  way,  that  before  we  were  clear  of  the  gulf, 
at  least  five  men  would  have  to  be  sewn  up  in  sail- 
cloth and  dropped  overboard ; and  among  them  he 
named  my  worthy  self.  This  was  rather  more  than  a 
joke ; after  escaping  all  the  dangers  and  toils  of  the 


392 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


land,  to  be  pitched  over  the  side  like  a dead  dog:  and 
I was  resolved  to  prove  the  old  proverb : “ Where 
there’s  a will,  there’s  a way,”  and  to  get  well  again.  I 
took  a glass  of  excellent  arrack,  and  had  a quantity  of 
it  rubbed  on  my  chest  and  shoulders.  I fell  asleep  in 
a few  minutes,  and  in  the  morning  I felt  lighter  and 
better.  By  the  1st  August  I was  able  to  crawl  about, 
and  decidedly  improving.  On  the  3rd,  we  came  in 
sight  of  Cuba,  and  passed  close  enough  to  the  shore  to 
make  out  the  palm-trees  and  country  houses. 

The  sick  sailors  were  still  dangerously  ill,  and  though 
there  was  a medicine  chest,  yet  there  was  no  doctor  on 
board,  nor  any  one  who  understood  its  contents ; so 
there  was  little  hope  for  the  poor  fellows.  One  died 
that  same  evening,  another  on  the  6th,  another  on  the 
7th.  There  were  no  stones  or  weights  on  board  to  sink 
the  corpses,  and  they  swam  about  the  ship,  as  if  they 
wished  to  be  taken  on  board  again,  and  not  to  be  left 
in  this  waste  of  waters.  The  moon  was  shining  clear, 
and  we  looked  long  in  silence  at  the  melancholy  spec- 
tacle, not  knowing  whose  turn  might  come  next. 

It  was  possible  that  we  should  be  obliged  to  return 
to  an  American  port  for  men  to  navigate  the  ship,  for 
six  seamen  had  deserted  at  New  Orleans,  and  one  had 
died,  and  the  captain  had  replaced  them  by  two  Ameri- 
cans, one  Frenchman,  and  one  Italian,  altogether  too 
few  when  we  first  started.  However,  soon  after  the 
third  corpse  was  thrown  overboard,  a fresh  breeze 
sparng  up  from  the  westward,  and  on  the  9th  we 
entered  the  Atlantic.  The  patients  improved,  and  by 
the  11th  all  were  well  and  fit  for  work. 

Leaving  the  Gulf  stream  as  soon  as  possible,  to  avoid 


THE  LUBECKER  AND  HIS  WIFE  — THE  CHANNEL.  393 


the  thunder-storms  so  frequent  there,  we  had  the  most 
beautiful  weather  in  the  world,  with  a fresh  S.  W. 
wind,  inspiring  cheerfulness  and  good  spirits.  We 
amused  ourselves  in  the  mornings  with  books  or  chess, 
and  in  the  evenings  playing  whist  with  a dummy,  the 
time  passing  rapidly  and  agreeably.  Sometimes,  by 
Way  of  a change  in  our  amusements,  the  American  wife 
cuffed  her  Liibeck  husband,  or  threw  some  household 
utensil  at  his  head ; sometimes  the  Texan  landholder 
got  drunk,  and  talked  all  kinds  of  nonsense.  Thus 
there  was  no  awful  pause  in  our  entertainments,  up  to 
the  time  of  arriving  in  the  channel  on  the  1st  of  Septem- 
ber, when  a cutter  came  alongside,  and  sold  us  fresh 
fish  and  potatoes,  which  we  enjoyed  very  much  after  all 
the  salt  provisions. 

It  was  too  thick  to  see  the  land,  but  after  dark  we 
made  out  a light-house  on  the  coast  of  England,  and 
afterwards  another  on  that  of  Normandy.  The  next 
day  was  still  foggy,  and  the  wind  against  us ; later,  a 
pleasant  breeze  sprung  up  from  the  westward,  dispersed 
the  fog,  displaying  the  chalky  cliffs  of  Albion  in  all  the 
splendor  of  the  setting  sun  ; — hundreds  of  vessels  were 
in  sight,  while  the  sea  was  almost  as  smooth  as  a lake. 
I mounted  aloft  to  feast  my  eyes  undisturbed,  on  old, 
beloved,  long-desired  Europe,  which  seemed  to  open 
her  arms  with  a friendly  smile  to  welcome  back  the 
wanderer.  * 

I remained  till  the  darkness  hid  the  prospect  from 
my  sight.  At  midnight  the  wind  changed  again,  and 
we  had  to  beat  to  windward  ; as  the  day  was  clear,  we 
could  make  out  people  walking  at  Brighton,  and  the 
long  rows  of  bathing-machines  on  the  beach.  We  also 


394 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  FAR  WEST. 


came  close  in  to  Dover,  and  then  over  to  Calais,  after 
which  we  cleared  the  land,  and  stood  into  the  North 
Sea. 

On  the  17th  September,  a pilot  came  on  board,  and 
on  the  evening  of  the  18th  we  were  off  Bremerhafen, 
and  anchored  about  a quarter  of  a mile  from  the  en- 
trance on  account  of  the  ebb.  Here,  to  our  great  con- 
sternation, the  pilot  informed  us  that  we  should  be  put 
in  quarantine,  on  account  of  the  deaths  which  had 
occurred.  This  was  a woful  stop  to  all  our  hopes  of  soon 
treading  on  terra  firma,  and  it  was  in  a very  ill  humor 
that  I watched  the  dread  flag  flying  from  the  foremast. 

On  the  following  morning  we  moved  close  to  the 
Hanoverian  fort.  A boat  with  a flag  uniting  the 
Hanoverian  and  Bremen  colors,  put  off  and  came 
alongside,  holding  on  by  a boat-hook,  and  refusing  to 
touch  a rope,  for  fear  of  infection.  Two  carefully 
enveloped  figures  sat  in  the  stern ; one  of  these  was  a 
doctor,  who  made  us  all  look  over  the  ship’s  side,  that 
he  might  behold  and  study  our  physiognomies,  and  see 
if  they  looked  at  all  suspicious.  We  were  mustered, 
to  show  that  all  were  present,  and  then  he  inquired 
into  all  the  particulars  of  the  deaths.  After  gaining 
all  the  information  he  desired,  he  noted  it  in  a book, 
and  said  quite  coolly  that  he  would  send  a report  to 
Bremen,  and  that  we  should  hear  again  in  a few  days. 
Here  was  precious  felicity ! We  had  just  time  to  call 
out  to  the  boatmen  the  names  of  various  articles  we 
wished  them  to  procure  us,  such  as  fresh  meat,  bread, 
butter,  potatoes,  &c.  a good  sign  how  ill  we  all  were  — 
ere  the  boat  pushed  off,  made  sail,  and  disappeared  in 
the  harbor. 


QUARANTINE. 


395 


The  Lubecker’s  American  wife,  the  only  woman  on 
board,  had  in  the  mean  time  had  many  a dispute  with 
her  husband,  whom  she  shamefully  tormented ; yet  he 
bore  it  all  with  inconceivable  patience.  She  struck 
him,  bit  him,  hid  his  things,  or  threw  them  overboard, 
abused  him,  and  in  short,  behaved  in  a manner  that  would 
have  exposed  her  to  the  roughest  treatment  from  many 
others ; but  her  good  man  bore  it  all  with  a “ What 
can  I do  ? ” This  was  his  answer  to  the  advice  of  every- 
body on  board,  all  washing  that  she  should  meet  the  re- 
ward of  her  infamous  conduct ; but  it  was  always,  “ What 
can  I do  ? I cannot  strike  her.”  His  better  half  hap- 
pened to  hear  the  word  strike  (schlagen),  and  although 
she  did  not  understand  German,  she  knew  wdiat  that 
meant;  so  springing  on  him  like  a fury,  and  holding 
her  fist  in  his  face,  she  told  him  in  unmistakable  terms 
that  if  he  once  attempted  to  raise  his  hand  to  her,  she 
would  plunge  a knife  between  his  ribs,  and  scratch  out 
his  eyes.  She  was  a little  frightened  by  one  of  the 
party  telling  her  that  if  she  did  not  treat  her  husband 
better,  he  had  the  right  in  Germany  of  selling  her  to 
anybody  who  wrould  buy  her — a statement  which  I con- 
firmed : this  startled  her ; but  if  she  had  had  any  reflec- 
tion, she  must  easily  have  known  that  no  one  would  buy 
such  a termagant. 

She  behaved  better  during  the  time  we  were  in 
quarantine,  perhaps  feeling  that  she  was  alone  among 
foreigners,  and  would  be  quite  helpless  wdthout  her 
husband. 

Ten  days  passed  away,  and  we  only  saw  the  boat 
w hen  she  brought  the  letters  or  provisions ; at  length 
one  of  the  party  wrote  a request  to  the  principal 


S96 


WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  PAR  WEST. 

authorities  in  Bremerhafen,  that  the  passengers  at  least, 
who  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  cargo,  might  be  per- 
mitted to  land.  Contrary  to  expectation,  the  answer 
was  favorable,  and  next  morning  a barge,  of  blessed 
memory,  came  alongside,  “ in  which  the  passengers  and 
baggage”— so  ran  the  order  — “ were  to  be  thoroughly 
smoked.” 

All  our  baggage  was  removed  to  the  barge  ; the  con- 
tents were  unpacked  and  spread  out,  the  hatches  laid 
on,  a dark  powder  thrown  in,  and  then  something  liquid, 
and  the  hold  was  instantaneously  filled  with  a thick 
smoke.  As  soon  as  all  the  goods  were  smoked,  the  pas- 
sengers were  required  to  undergo  the  same  process ; and 
we  walked  about  in  this  dreadful  smoke  for  about  a 
quarter  of  an  hour : my  lungs  did  not  get  rid  of  the 
effects  of  it  for  three  days  after.  ' This  ordeal  past,  we 
repacked  our  clothes,  and  prepared,  after  our  long 
absence,  to  tread  once  more  on  German  ground.  We 
waved  a last  adieu  to  our  good  captain,  his  officers,  and 
crew,  whose  conduct  could  not  be  too  highly  praised ; 
and  in  a few  minutes,  with  light  and  joyful  hearts,  we 
stepped  on  the  soil  of  our  native  land. 


THE  END. 


r 


v 


TWO  INVALUABLE 


WORKS  OF  REFERENCE 

FOR  THE  LIBRARY,  SCHOOL,  AND  FAMILY. 


LIPPINCOTT’S 

GAZETTEER  OP  THE  WORLD 

A Complete  Pronouncing  Gazetteer,  or  Geographical  Dictionary 
of  the  World. 

CONTAINING  NOTICES  OF  OVER  ONE  HUNDRED  AND  TWENTY-FIVE  THOUSAND  PLACES. 

With  Recent  and  Authentic  Information  respecting  the  Countries,  Islands, 
Rivers,  Mountains,  Cities,  Towns,  etc.,  in  every  portion 
of  the  Globe;  also  the  Census  for  1880. 

NEW  EDITION,  WITH  SUPPLEMENTARY  TABLES, 

Showing  the  'Populations , etc.,  of  the  Principal  Cities  and  Towns  of  the  World, 
based  upon  the  most  recent  Census  Returns.  One  Volume.  Imperial 
Octavo.  Embracing  2680  Pages.  Library  Sheep.  $12.00. 


“It  is  the  best  work  of  its  kind  extant,  and  is  a necessary  supplement  to  any  ency- 
clopaedia. The  amount  of  information  it  contains  is  astonishing,  and  while,  of  course, 
condensed,  it  is  all  that  is  necessary  for  reference  purposes.” — Chicago  Tribune. 

“It  has  long  stood  far  superior  to  all  similar  works  through  its  uniform  accuracy, 
exhaustive  field,  and  evident  purpose  of  the  publishers  to  make  it  as  complete  and  per- 
fect as  possible.  It  is  the  standard  of  standards.” — Boston  Evening  Traveller. 


LiPPmcoTT’s  Biographical  Dictionary. 

Lippincott’s  Pronouncing  Dictionary  of  Biography  and  Mythology 

CONTAINS 

Memoirs  of  the  Eminent  Persons  of  all  Ages  and  Countries,  and  Accounts  of  the 
Various  Subjects  of  the  Norse,  Hindoo,  and  Classic  Mythologies,  with 
the  Pronunciation  of  their  Names  in  the  Different 
Languages  in  which  they  occur. 

BY  or.  THOMAS,  A.M.,  M.D. 

Complete  in  One  Volume,  Imperial  8vo,  cf  2345  Pages.  Bound  in  Sheep,  $12.00. 


“The  most  comprehensive  and  valuable  work  of  the  kind  that  has  ever  been  at- 
tempted. An  invaluable  convenience.” — Boston  Evening  Traveller. 

“ The  most  valuable  contribution  to  lexicography  in  the  English  tongue.” — Cin- 
cinnati Gazette. 

“No  other  work  of  the  kind  will  compare  with  it.” — Chicago  Advance. 


FOR  SALE  BY  ALL  BOOKSELLERS. 

J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY,  Publishers, 

71S  and  717  Market  Street,  Philadelphia. 


READER’S  REFERENCE  LIBRARY, 


BREWER'S  READER'S  HANDBOOK 

Of  Facts,  Characters,  Plots,  and  References.  $3.50. 

BREWER'S  DICTIONARY  OF  PHRASE  AND  FABLE . 

Giving  the  Derivation,  Source,  or  Origin  of  about  20,000  Common  Phrases,  Illusions, 
and  Words  that  have  a Tale  to  Tell.  New  Edition.  $2.50. 

BREWER'S  DICTIONARY  OF  MIRACLES , 

Imitative,  Realistic,  and  Dogmatic.  With  Illustrations.  $2.50. 

EDWARDS'S  WORDS , FACTS , AND  PHRASES . 

A Dictionary  of  Curious,  Quaint,  and  Out-of-the-Way  Matters.  $2.50. 

WORCESTER'S  COMPREHENSIVE  DICTIONARY . 

Revised,  Enlarged,  and  Profusely  Illustrated.  $2.50. 

ROGET'S  THESAURUS . 

A Treasury  of  English  Words.  $2.50. 

ANCIENT  AND  MODERN  FAMILIAR  QUOTATIONS . 

From  the  Greek,  Latin,  and  Modern  Languages.  $2.50. 

SOULE'S  ENGLISH  SYNONYMIES. 

A Dictionary  of  Synonymes  and  Synonymous  or  Parallel  Expressions.  $2.50. 


J.  B 


GETTY  CENTER  LIBRARY 


3 3125  00721  9732 


ANY,  Publishers, 

Philadelphia. 


